The discovery of large amounts of cash at the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma has sent shockwaves across the country, particularly within the judiciary. For days, conflicting reports have surfaced, each adding new layers of intrigue to the unfolding controversy.
Initial reports suggested that on March 14, during Holi, a fire broke out in the storeroom of Justice Varma’s New Delhi residence. In the process of extinguishing the flames, authorities reportedly stumbled upon heaps of cash. The revelation quickly dominated headlines, triggering intense debate.
Amid the media frenzy, Delhi Fire Service Chief Atul Garg initially stated that no cash was found at Justice Varma’s residence. However, the narrative took a dramatic turn when Delhi’s Police Commissioner, Sanjay Arora sent video footage and photographs of burnt cash recovered from the scene to Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya.
The conflicting claims raised serious questions. If the police had evidence of the cash, why did the fire service chief assert otherwise? The controversy deepened when, on March 22, the Supreme Court released footage confirming the presence of burnt cash at Justice Varma’s residence.
Following the Supreme Court’s release of the footage, Atul Garg retracted his earlier statement. He now claimed that he never categorically denied the presence of cash at the scene. The abrupt shift in his stance has only added to the growing suspicions surrounding the case. As more details emerge, inconsistencies in the reporting and official narratives suggest that the full story is yet to be uncovered.
Was Justice Varma’s Transfer Really Unrelated to the Cash Recovery?
On March 20, the Supreme Court collegium, led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, proposed transferring Justice Yashwant Varma back to his parent court, the Allahabad High Court. The very next day, the Allahabad High Court Bar Association strongly opposed the decision, declaring that their court was not a “dumping ground or a trash can.”
