The Supreme Court of India recently dismissed a petition seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the controversial ‘burnt currency’ incident involving former Delhi High Court Justice Yashwant Varma. On Friday, a bench comprising Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe dismissed the plea, describing it as an attempt at ‘cheap publicity’.
Details of the Petition
The petition was filed by lawyer Ghanshyam Upadhayay, who sought the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) and requested a court-supervised investigation. Despite Justice Varma’s resignation, Upadhayay argued that the resignation did not absolve the former judge of criminal liability for the unaccounted cash discovered at his residence.
Previously, a similar petition had been dismissed on technical grounds, as no complaint had been filed before the petition. The petitioner contended that since Justice Varma was a high court judge and thus a public servant, he could be prosecuted, especially as he had retired. However, the bench refused to entertain the matter, stating, “All cheap publicity. We are not inclined to entertain this. Dismissed.”
The Burnt Currency Incident
The case dates back to March 14, when a fire at Justice Varma’s residence allegedly led to the discovery of unaccounted cash. At the time, Justice Varma and his wife were in Madhya Pradesh, while only his daughter and elderly mother were home. A video clip later emerged showing bundles of cash in flames, fueling allegations of corruption against Justice Varma, who denied the charges, suggesting a conspiracy against him.
Internal Probe and Subsequent Actions
In response to the allegations, the Chief Justice of India initiated an internal investigation and formed a three-member committee on March 22 to probe the incident. The committee, comprising Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, Himachal High Court Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia, and Karnataka High Court Justice Anu Sivaraman, submitted their findings to CJI Khanna on May 4.
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Following the report, CJI Khanna asked Justice Varma to resign or face impeachment. As Justice Varma refused to resign, the CJI forwarded the committee’s report and the judge’s response to the President and the Prime Minister. Subsequently, Justice Varma was reassigned to his parent High Court from the Delhi High Court, with his judicial duties suspended pending further actions.
In August 2025, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla initiated the process for Justice Varma’s removal by forming another three-member panel to investigate the allegations. Initially, the panel included Supreme Court Justice Aravind Kumar, Madras High Court Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, and Senior Advocate BV Acharya. Following Justice Shrivastava’s retirement on March 6, Bombay High Court Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar joined the panel.
In January, the Supreme Court declined to intervene in the inquiry proceedings against Justice Varma, affirming the Lok Sabha Speaker’s authority to form the Judges Inquiry Committee. Justice Varma ultimately resigned in April, before the removal process could conclude.
