THE JUDGES INQUIRY COMMITTEE (‘JIC’) has indicted former Delhi High Court judge (originally from the Allahabad High Court) Justice Yashwant Varma in connection with the alleged recovery of unaccounted cash by the Delhi Fire Service personnel on March 14, 2025 from an outhouse at his official residence during a firefighting operation.
The JIC, composed of the Supreme Court judge Justice Aravind Kumar, the then Bombay High Court Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, and senior advocate B.V. Acharya, has found Justice Varma guilty on all three counts, namely: that substantial unexplained ₹500 Indian currency notes were found in the storeroom; that the evidentiary condition of the storeroom was disturbed before the lawful sealing and inspection, and that the later non-availability of the currency notes remains unexplained. The JIC further noted that Justice Varma’s reply remains evasive and unsatisfactory and lacked candour and transparency.
The JIC report was tabled in the Lok Sabha today. The JIC was formed under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 to investigate allegations of corruption against Justice Varma, who was later sent to the Allahabad High Court from the Delhi High Court purportedly as a disciplinary measure.
While the JIC was holding the inquiry, Justice Varma chose to resign on April 10 this year.
