Burnt wads of cash, cracked walls: Watch full video Delhi police chief shared with CJI in judge cash row
Video shows firemen sifting through burnt cash strewn on the floor. The clip, along with photos, has been shared with CJI as part of Delhi Chief Justice Upadhyaya's prelim report.
Mar 23, 2025, 11:53 IST
The Supreme Court Saturday released the report of Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, who was asked to conduct a preliminary probe into the allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma, at whose residence unaccounted-for cash was found.
In an unprecedented move, the Supreme Court of India has released a video shared by the Delhi Police Commissioner with the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Sanjiv Khanna, depicting burnt wads of cash purportedly found at the residence of Delhi High Court Judge, Justice Yashwant Varma.
The video, now publicly accessible, shows firefighters sifting through charred currency notes strewn across the floor of a room with cracked walls, suggesting significant fire damage. This footage was part of a preliminary report submitted by Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya to the CJI.
The incident came to light following a fire at Justice Varma's official residence on March 14. Firefighters responding to the emergency reportedly discovered several bags containing burnt cash in a storeroom. The video evidence was subsequently forwarded to the Delhi Police Commissioner and included in the report to the Supreme Court.
Justice Varma has vehemently denied the allegations, describing them as "totally preposterous and incredible." In his response to the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, he stated that no currency was seized from his residence after the fire and suggested that the video evidence might be part of a conspiracy to malign him.
In light of these developments, the Supreme Court has constituted an in-house committee to conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter. Pending the investigation, Justice Varma has been relieved of his judicial duties.
The release of the video and the swift actions by the judiciary underscore the seriousness with which these allegations are being addressed, reflecting a commitment to transparency and accountability within the judicial system.