Firestorm after blaze unearths stashed cash at judge’s house
Chief Justice Upadhyaya formally submitted his report to CJI Khanna, suggesting that the matter warranted a deeper probe.
CJI Khanna instructed Chief Justice Upadhyaya to obtain a written response from Justice Varma explaining the presence of cash and its source as well as identifying who removed the burnt money.
Call record details and security deployment logs were requested.
March 22, 2025:
Justice Varma submitted a written response, strongly denying any involvement and dismissing allegations as “preposterous.”
Chief Justice Upadhyaya forwarded Justice Varma’s response to CJI Khanna, along with staff details and call records.
The Supreme Court issued a statement confirming that Justice Varma would not be assigned judicial work for the time being.
March 23, 2025:
The Supreme Court made the Delhi High Court’s inquiry report and related documents public, including the video evidence.
A three-member committee, including Justices Sheel Nagu (Punjab & Haryana HC), G.S. Sandhawalia (Himachal Pradesh HC), and Anu Sivaraman (Karnataka HC), was formed to conduct the probe.
March 24, 2025:
The Supreme Court reiterated its decision to repatriate Justice Verma to Allahabad High Court.
March 25, 2025:
The committee visited Justice Verma’s residence to examine the site.
Allahabad lawyers began an indefinite strike protesting his transfer.
