How Cash Was Unearthed from Judge’s Home & Supreme Court Finally Admitted So: A Timeline of Justice Yashwant’s Varma’s Case

New Delhi: The recovery of burning cash at Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma's official residence in the national capital has exposed the biggest corruption scam in the history of the Indian judiciary. From the first time when cash was found burning on March 14 to finally releasing a video of the incident on March 22, here is a complete timeline of the case.

From Unearthing of Cash to SC's Final Admission: Timeline of Justice Yashwant Varma's Case

A storeroom in Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma's official residence in the national capital caught fire on March 14 and firefighters found sacks of cash there. The initial fire report mentioned “stationary” was found burning. Later, the Delhi HC Judge Justice Varma was transferred to his parent court, the Allahabad High Court and a report was submitted to the Chief Justice of India Justice Sanjiv Khanna, by the Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya. 

Also Read: SUPREME COURT ACCEPTS CORRUPTION: 5 Sacks of Cash in Justice Varma’s House, 25 Page Report Stuns

Here is a complete timeline of Justice Yashwant Varma's Cash Burning Scandal, which is being labelled as the biggest corruption scam in the history of the Indian Judiciary. 

• March 14, 2025, 11:30 PM: A fire broke out at the official residence of Justice Yashwant Varma in the national capital.
• March 15, 2025, 4:50 PM: The Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, who was in Lucknow at that time, was informed of the incident, by the Delhi Police Commissioner.
• March 16, 2025: On the next day, after returning to New Delhi, Justice DK Upadhyaya first visited CJI Sanjiv Khanna and then on his directions, contacted Justice Yashwant Varma.
• March 17, 2025, 8:30 AM: Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya met with Justice Yashwant Varma at the Delhi High Court Guest House, where the former is currently residing. Justice Varma informed the Delhi HC Chief Justice that the storeroom was open to all and unused items like furniture, etc. were kept there. Justice Varma also expressed his apprehension that this may be some ‘conspiracy’ against him.
• March 21, 2025: CJI Sanjiv Khanna issued some directions to Justice Yashwant Varma, to retain data in his phone and not delete any messages or call records from the last six months.
• March 22, 2025: As per the official statement of Justice Yashwant Varma released by the Supreme Court, he has denied the allegations and has maintained that there was no money found in the storeroom; he also said that the room that caught fire, is not attached to his living area and is accessible to a lot of people including the guards, gardeners, staff and CPWD personnel.
• March 22, 2025: Following the submission of Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya's report, CJI Sanjiv Khanna constituted a 3-member inquiry committee, comprising of, Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court G.S. Sandhawalia and Karnataka High Court Judge Anu Sivaraman. 
• March 22, 2025: The report submitted to the Chief Justice of India by the Delhi High Court Chief Justice, the CJI's response, the statement of Delhi HC Judge Yashwant Varma and the photos and videos from the time of the fire incident, have all been published online by the Supreme Court of India.

Shocking Video of Sacks of Cash Unearthed from Justice Varma's Residence 

A shocking video has surfaced, revealing a heap of charred currency notes at the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma, a judge of the Delhi High Court. The footage, which quickly went viral on social media, has triggered a large-scale investigation into the origins of the burnt money and the events leading up to the incident.

The video definitively confirms that significant amounts of cash were indeed found at the residence of the sitting High Court judge. It directly contradicts the inconsistent and muddled explanations offered by the fire department, which has provided conflicting accounts regarding the discovery of large sums of cash at the judge's home.

‘No Cash Was Ever Placed In That Storeroom’: Justice Yashwant Varma's Statement

Justice Yashwant Varma's statement has also been published online by the Supreme Court; in his statement, the Delhi High Court judge has said that he or any of his family members have never placed money in the storeroom and that this is some kind of ‘conspiracy’ against him.

Also Read: Delhi High Court Chief Justice's 25-Page Inquiry Report In Justice Yashwant Varma Cash Controversy: Key Findings

Justice Yashwant Varma's statement read, “I state unequivocally that no cash was ever placed in that storeroom either by me or any of my family members and strongly denounce the suggestion that the alleged cash belonged to us. The very idea or suggestion that this cash was kept or stored by us is totally preposterous. The suggestion that one would store cash in an open, freely accessible, and commonly used storeroom near the staff quarters or in an outhouse verges on the incredible and incredulous. It is a room completely disassociated from my living areas, and a boundary wall demarcates my living area from that outhouse. I only wish that the media had conducted some inquiry before I came to be indicted and defamed in the press.”

Supreme Court Constitutes 3-Member Committee for Further Probe

Following the submission of the report by Delhi Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya to CJI Sanjiv Khanna, a three-member committee has been constituted by the apex court, for further probe. The three members of the committee are - 

1. Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab & Haryana High Court
2. Justice GS Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court
3. Justice Anu Sivaraman, Judge of the Karnataka High Court

The Chief Justice of India has instructed the Delhi High Court Chief Justice to refrain from assigning any additional judicial duties to the judge in question. Initially, the Supreme Court Collegium had decided to transfer Justice Varma back to his home court, the Allahabad High Court. However, during a full court meeting of all Supreme Court judges, it was proposed that a mere transfer would not be sufficient, and more decisive action was necessary. 

As a result, the full court unanimously agreed to initiate an internal investigation, with the transfer serving as the first step. In the meantime, the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court has been instructed not to assign any judicial duties to Justice Varma. As the investigation unfolds, the credibility of the judiciary is on the line. The Supreme Court's decision to release the investigation report and set up an internal inquiry committee marks a positive step forward. However, the outcome of the probe and the actions taken against Justice Varma will be pivotal in restoring public trust in the judicial system.