The money was discovered after a fire broke out at Justice Varma’s official residence on Tughlak Road at around 11:35pm on March 14.
First responders—including personnel from DFS and possibly the police—are believed to have discovered stacks of cash in the storeroom, some of which were reportedly charred. Justice Varma and his wife were in Bhopal at the time.
Justice Yashwant Varma has
categorically denied any connection to the cash discovered at his residence. He claims that he is being framed in what he described as a “conspiracy to malign” him.
On March 20, the Supreme Court collegium unanimously recommended transferring justice Varma to the Allahabad high court—his parent high court.
However, during deliberations, at least two members argued that a mere transfer was insufficient and pushed for an immediate in-house inquiry. One judge insisted that Justice Varma be stripped of judicial work immediately, while another pressed for a formal investigation to ensure institutional accountability, as reported by Hindustan Times.
The Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) had opposed the proposed transfer of Justice Yashwant Verma, saying it raises a “serious question as to whether the Allahabad High Court is trash bin”.
In a letter, HCBA said corruption is unacceptable and that it “was taken aback” by the decision to transfer Justice Verma to his parent high court.
On March 22, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna constituted a three-member committee to conduct an inquiry into the allegations against Justice Varma.
Justice Varma was first appointed as a judge at the Allahabad high court in 2016. He was transferred to the Delhi high court in October 2021. Before his elevation, he served as standing counsel for the Uttar Pradesh government.