Crucial Destruction of Evidence As More Videos Were Recorded By Multiple Agencies of Govt

New Delhi: The case of Delhi High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma, following the recovery of piles of cash from his residence, has escalated into a major controversy. Late on Saturday night, the Supreme Court of India released a 25-page report by the Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya on Justice Yashwant Varma's case. The report includes documents, photos, and videos related to what is being described as one of the biggest scandals in the Indian judiciary.

As the investigation progresses, reports suggest the destruction of crucial evidence, with claims that multiple government agencies recorded additional videos that have yet to be made public.

In another explosive revelation in the Delhi judge cash scandal case, sources told Republic Media Network that junior officers of the Delhi police department were allegedly instructed to delete the video—widely circulated and released by the Supreme Court—showing piles of cash being burned at Justice Yashwant Varma’s residence. The junior officers were also directed not to make copies of the video, which exposes the alleged cash scandal involving the senior Delhi High Court judge.

Reports indicate that the video was initially shared with senior officials, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and other high-ranking officers.

What is even more shocking, sources revealed, is that instructions to delete and destroy the controversial footage were issued after all stakeholders were briefed about its existence. Specifically, junior officers were asked to prevent the video from being circulated.

Supreme Court releases Delhi High Court Chief Justice report on Delhi judge scam scandal

Late on Saturday night, the Supreme Court uploaded a report on its website, furnished by Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Upadhyaya, regarding Justice Yashwant Varma's alleged cash scandal. This follows the discovery of piles of unaccounted money at his residence on March 14, during the Holi weekend.

The 25-page report furnished by the Delhi High Court Chief Justice Upadhyaya includes documents, videos and photos, related to the initial  findings on the Delhi judge alleged cash scandal case. 

According to reports, the cash was found after a fire broke out at Justice Varma's house. It was reported that neither Justice Varma nor his wife was in town at the time, as they were in Bhopal. A resident of the house alerted the fire department, after which firefighters arrived and extinguished the flames.

As the controversy unfolded, Republic Media Network accessed a document from the Delhi fire department that reportedly made no mention of the unaccounted cash being found at Justice Varma's residence and raised suspicion of a possible cover-up.

How Justice Yashwant Varma's case escalated and why questions are being raised about the judiciary

When the matter was reported to the higher judicial authorities, the Supreme Court Collegium initially transferred Justice Yashwant Varma to his parent Allahabad High Court. However, the High Court objected to this decision, stating that they were “not a trash bin.”

Many legal experts, including senior Supreme Court advocate and King's Counsel (UK) Harish Salve, along with other members of the judiciary, expressed concerns about the action taken against Justice Varma. They argued that he should have been asked to resign or face impeachment, given the seriousness of the allegations.

As criticism of the judiciary grew, the Supreme Court issued a statement on Friday clarifying that Justice Yashwant Varma's transfer was unrelated to the cash recovery incident.

Supreme Court forms 3-member committee to investigate Justice Yashwant Varma

On Saturday, the Supreme Court constituted a three-member committee to investigate Justice Yashwant Varma's case.

The committee includes Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab & Haryana High Court; Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court; and Justice Anu Sivaraman, a Judge of the Karnataka High Court.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna also directed the Delhi High Court Chief Justice not to assign any further judicial responsibilities to Justice Yashwant Varma.