Supreme Court press release: Justice Varma Denies Allegations, Three-Member Committee Constituted
The matter is now under the scrutiny of a three-member inquiry committee constituted by the Chief Justice of India.
Press Release from the Supreme Court on Saturday Night: Justice Yashwant Verma Denies Allegations; Three-Member Committee Constituted: On Saturday night, the Supreme Court released the in-house inquiry report submitted by Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, investigating the allegations of cash recovery at the residence of Delhi High Court Judge, Justice Yashwant Verma.
The 25-page-long inquiry report confirms that 4-5 semi-burnt stacks of cash were found. The report includes photos and videos from the fire incident that occurred at Justice Yashwant Verma’s residence on the evening of Holi. According to the report, firefighters and police personnel who first responded to the incident reportedly discovered unaccounted cash.
Video footage and photographs from the incident, included in the Supreme Court’s press release, have been shared in media reports.
The Delhi High Court Chief Justice, in his report submitted to Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud, recommended a further investigation into the alleged discovery of cash.
He stated,"The Commissioner of Police, in his report dated March 16, 2025, mentioned that the guard posted at Justice Yashwant Verma’s residence reported that debris and other partially burnt articles were removed from the room where the fire broke out on the morning of March 15, 2025. The inquiry conducted by me, prima facie, does not reveal the possibility of entry or access to the room by any person other than those residing in the bungalow, the servants, the gardeners, and CPWD personnel, if any."
He further stated, "I am of the prima facie opinion that the entire matter warrants a deeper probe."
Following this recommendation, on March 22, 2025, Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud constituted a three-member inquiry committee to probe the allegations against Justice Yashwant Verma, a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court.
Additionally, the Chief Justice of India has instructed the Delhi High Court to not assign any judicial work to Justice Yashwant Verma for the time being.
CJI’s Letter to Delhi CJ and Justice Yashwant Verma’s Response
On March 21, 2025, the Chief Justice of India wrote to the Chief Justice of Delhi (CJ Delhi), informing him that he had received a report from Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya that same day. The report refers to oral queries raised and answers given by Justice Yashwant Verma under the in-house procedure. The CJI asked CJ Delhi to highlight the facts recorded in the report and seek Justice Yashwant Verma’s written response by 12:00 noon on March 22, 2025, stating that it would be appropriate.
Furthermore, CJI instructed Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya to ask,
How does Justice Yashwant Verma account for the presence of cash in the room on his premises?
What is the source of the money?
Who removed the burnt money on the morning of March 15?
In the letter, Justice Yashwant Verma was requested not to dispose of his mobile phone or delete/modify any conversations, messages, or data from his mobile devices.
As per the Chief Justice of India’s instructions, the Delhi High Court Chief Justice forwarded the call detail records obtained from the Commissioner of Police, Delhi.
On March 22, 2025, Justice Yashwant Verma submitted his written response, stating:
"This room was generally utilized by all and sundry to store articles such as unused furniture, bottles, crockery, mattresses, used carpets, old speakers, garden implements, as well as CPWD material. This room is unlocked and accessible from both the official front gate and the backdoor of the staff quarters. It is disconnected from the main residence and is surely not a part of my house, as has been portrayed and suggested in the article published by The Times of India and certain other news reports."
Although the PDF shared by the Honourable Supreme Court on March 22 states on page 3 that the storeroom was kept locked, this information was provided by the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, to Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya of the Delhi High Court. The Commissioner stated:
"The storeroom is adjacent to the Guard Room where the Central Reserve Police Force (Battalion 70F) is posted, and it used to be kept locked."
However, in a subsequent inquiry, this was denied. The Delhi Chief Justice instructed the Registrar-cum-Secretary attached to him to inspect the site after receiving this information. During the visit, the Secretary was informed that the storeroom was used to store discarded household items, remained accessible to everyone, and was not kept locked.
Justice Yashwant Verma’s Further Denial
Justice Yashwant Verma further stated, "During the efforts to douse the fire, all staff and my household members were asked to move away from the scene for safety reasons. After the fire was extinguished and when they returned to the site, they saw no cash or currency at the location."
"I state unequivocally that no cash was ever placed in that storeroom either by me or any of my family members. I strongly denounce the suggestion that the alleged cash belonged to us."
"The suggestion that one would store cash in an open, freely accessible, and commonly used storeroom near the staff quarters or in an outhouse verges on the incredible and incredulous."
He also expressed shock upon seeing the videos and photographs shown to him by a Delhi High Court Chief justice during their meeting at the High Court Guest House.
Justice Yashwant Verma wrote, "It also lends credence to my firm belief that the entire incident is part of a sequence of events that have occurred in the recent past, including the unfounded allegations that circulated on social media in December 2024 [which I had also apprised you about during our meeting], and your first reaction to the incident being that of arson."
At the end of his response, Justice Yashwant Verma emphasized that no one from his household had ever reported seeing any burnt currency in the room.
He questioned the authenticity of the video evidence, stating, "Without admitting that the video was taken immediately at the time of the incident at the site, none of it appears to have been recovered or seized."
Additionally, he claimed that the only thing his staff cleared from the site was debris, which is still present at his residence and can be inspected.
Justice Yashwant Verma categorically denied the presence of any sacks of allegedly burnt currency, stating, "I also strongly deny and outrightly reject the insinuation, if made, that we removed currency from the storeroom."
Finally, he urged the authorities to absolve him of these "unfounded and baseless allegations."
"It is in this background that I urge you to absolve me of these unfounded and baseless allegations."
With Justice Yashwant Verma categorically denying the allegations, the matter is now under the scrutiny of a three-member inquiry committee constituted by the Chief Justice of India. The Delhi High Court has been directed not to assign any judicial work to Justice Yashwant Verma for now, pending further investigation.
The Supreme Court’s decision to make key documents public has drawn significant legal and media attention, and the findings of the inquiry will determine the next course of action. As the investigation proceeds, further developments in this case will be closely followed.
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