Justice Yashwant Varma has approached the Supreme Court of India by filing a writ petition challenging the findings of the in-house inquiry committee which indicted him in connection with the cash discovered at his official residence. He has also contested the recommendation made by the former Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, urging the President and the Prime Minister to initiate impeachment proceedings against him.
This development is significant as it marks a rare instance where a sitting High Court judge has directly approached the Supreme Court to seek relief against an internal judicial inquiry. The writ petition was filed on July 17, naming the Union of India and the Supreme Court of India as respondents.
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Justice Varma's legal move comes just ahead of the Parliament’s monsoon session, which is expected to take up the impeachment motion filed against him.
"The committee made findings without giving me a fair chance to respond," Justice Varma alleged in his petition. He claimed that the committee had acted with a pre-decided mindset and drew adverse conclusions without any concrete evidence, effectively reversing the burden of proof on him.
The controversy arose from a fire incident on March 14 at the official residence of Justice Varma, then serving at the Delhi High Court. During the fire-fighting operation, a large quantity of cash was found in an outhouse on the premises. Following the public outrage, then Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, constituted an in-house committee comprising Justice Sheel Nagu (then Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court), Justice G.S. Sandhawalia (then Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court), and Justice Anu Sivaraman (Judge, Karnataka High Court).
Pending the outcome of the inquiry, Justice Varma was repatriated to the Allahabad High Court and was relieved of all judicial work.
The committee submitted its final report in May. According to that report:
"Justice Varma’s conduct following the fire incident was found to be unnatural, leading to adverse inferences."
The committee had examined 55 witnesses, including Justice Varma himself, his daughter, and members of the fire brigade. It also reviewed video footage and photographs taken during the fire-fighting operation. The committee concluded that the recovered cash was found within the “covert or active control of Justice Varma and his family members.”
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“The burden was on Justice Varma to explain the presence of cash. In the absence of any satisfactory explanation and only offering a flat denial or alleging conspiracy, the committee found grounds for further action,” the report stated.
Justice Varma, however, maintains that the entire process was flawed and did not uphold the principles of natural justice. He argues that the inquiry lacked transparency and fairness, thereby violating his fundamental rights.
Case: XXX v. Union of India | Diary No. 38664/2025.