Supreme Court dismisses FIR petition in Varma cash scandal

The Supreme Court on Friday, August 7, 2026, dismissed a petition seeking a criminal investigation into the "burnt currency" scandal involving former judge Yashwant Varma, calling the plea an attempt at "cheap publicity." A bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe refused to entertain the petition filed by advocate Ghanshyam Upadhyay, who had sought the registration of a First Information Report and a court-monitored probe by a Special Investigation Team.

The controversy originated from a fire at Justice Varma's official residence in Delhi on the night of March 14, 2025, during the Holi festival. Videos and reports emerged showing bundles of currency notes burning in the blaze. At the time, Varma, who was then a judge at the Delhi High Court, and his wife were traveling in Madhya Pradesh. He denied any knowledge or ownership of the cash, calling it a conspiracy to malign him.

The incident prompted an internal judicial inquiry. The Chief Justice of India at the time, Sanjiv Khanna, constituted a three-member committee to investigate. That committee submitted its report in early May 2025, concluding there was sufficient substance in the allegations to warrant serious...