Parliament Panel Finds All Charges Proven Against Ex-Judge Varma

A parliamentary inquiry committee has found all three charges against former High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma proved in connection with the discovery of substantial unexplained cash at his official residence in New Delhi. The report, submitted to both houses of Parliament on August 12, 2026, concluded that Justice Varma failed to satisfactorily account for the currency, that material evidence was not properly preserved, and that his explanations were evasive and unsatisfactory.

The findings stem from a fire that broke out at Justice Varma's official residence at 30, Tughlaq Crescent on the night of March 14, 2025. During firefighting operations, personnel from the Delhi Fire Services and Delhi Police reported seeing large quantities of burnt and partially burnt Rs 500 currency notes in a storeroom on the premises. Witnesses described bundles, heaps, and stacks of notes spread across the room. However, the currency was never formally seized, counted, or inventoried, and no samples were preserved, making it impossible to determine the exact amount involved.

The three-member committee, constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla under the Judges Inquiry Act, 1968, was headed...