Justice Yashwant Varma, a judge of the Allahabad High Court, has approached the Supreme Court to challenge the report of an inquiry committee that recommended impeachment proceedings against him. He said that the committee’s findings were unfair and that his rights had been violated.

The report was prepared by a three-judge inquiry committee formed after a large amount of cash was found at his official residence in Delhi in March 2025. The committee said it found “strong inferential evidence” suggesting that Justice Varma had “covert or active control” over the room where the cash was kept. Based on this report, the then Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, recommended that impeachment proceedings be started against him.

In his petition, Justice Varma has asked the Supreme Court to cancel the committee’s report. He also requested that the recommendation for his impeachment be set aside. He said that the committee presumed facts without proof and wrongly made him responsible to disprove those assumptions. He argued that the process "violated his rights both as an individual and as a constitutional functionary."

Cash found after fire; Varma says it's a conspiracy

In March 2025, a fire broke out at the official residence of Justice Varma in Delhi. After the fire was controlled, officials found a large amount of burnt or partially burnt cash in one of the storerooms. This led to a big controversy and raised serious concerns about judicial corruption.

At that time, Justice Varma was serving in the Delhi High Court. After the incident, he was transferred to the Allahabad High Court, which is his parent court, and was stripped of all judicial work.

Justice Varma has strongly denied any connection to the cash. He said that neither he nor any member of his family had placed the cash there and called the whole matter a “conspiracy” to defame him.

He refused to resign or take voluntary retirement, saying that would mean accepting a “fundamentally unjust” inquiry process.

Impeachment motion likely in Parliament soon

The case has now reached a serious stage, as the Centre is likely to bring an impeachment motion against Justice Varma in the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

Recently, another petition was filed in the Supreme Court asking for directions to the Delhi Police and Enforcement Directorate to register a case and start an investigation into the cash recovery. The plea said that keeping such a large amount of unaccounted cash is a “culpable and cognisable offence” and demanded a proper FIR.

Now, with Justice Varma moving the Supreme Court, all eyes are on the top court and the Parliament’s next step.

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