New Delhi, June 4 In what is being seen as an extraordinary and rare development in the Indian judiciary, a three-member committee appointed by then Chief Justice of India Justice Sanjiv Khanna has indicted Justice Yashwant Varma, now of the Allahabad High Court, finding serious substance in allegations of judicial misconduct, and recommended the initiation of removal proceedings.
The panel’s findings, submitted to then Chief Justice of India Khanna and forwarded to the President and Prime Minister earlier this month, recommended the removal of the judge. The inquiry, triggered by the discovery of a huge sum of burnt cash at then Delhi HC judge, Justice Varma’s official residence in New Delhi, following a fire on March 14, has laid bare troubling details, sources said.
According to sources, before delivering its damning conclusion, the three-judge panel underscored the sanctity of judicial conduct, reminding all of the "Restatement of Values of Judicial Life", a charter of ethical principles adopted by the Supreme Court in a Full Court meeting in 1997. The panel, sources said, made it clear that the credibility of the judiciary rests on the unwavering probity and character of its members, stating: "Probity is the most important and indispensable attribute of a person holding judicial office... Least that is expected of any judicial officer of district or higher judiciary is unimpeachable character and conduct in and outside the courtroom."
The element of probity becomes predominant, relevant and indispensable when the offices of higher judiciary are in question, say sources, citing the report. The expectation of the general public from a member of the superior judiciary is extremely high. Probity is the most important and indispensable attribute of a person holding judicial office and is rather the basic eligibility criterion, sources said, referring to the observations in the report. The least that is expected of any judicial officer of district or higher judiciary is unimpeachable character and conduct in and outside the courtroom.
The panel, according to sources, said: "The very existence of judicial office is founded upon the trust of the citizens at large. The quality & quantity of this trust is directly relatable to the behaviour, conduct and performance demonstrated by the Judge, not only inside but also outside the courtroom. Any deficiency in this regard erodes public trust, which ought to be viewed stringently.”
Sources said these words framed the panel's severe rebuke of Justice Varma, as it concluded that he had failed to meet the "universally accepted values of judicial life."
The inquiry centred around the discovery of large amounts of cash in the storeroom of 30 Tughlak Crescent, New Delhi — a government bungalow officially allotted to Justice Varma. According to the committee, both direct and electronic evidence confirmed that the storeroom was under the covert or active control of Justice Varma and his family, sources said.
In a particularly damning finding, the committee, according to sources, stated: "It is established by way of strong inferential evidence that the burnt cash/money was removed from the storeroom during the wee hours of 15.03.2025."
The investigation was reportedly triggered by a letter from the Chief Justice of India dated March 22, 2025, raising red flags about the integrity of Justice Varma and urging a formal probe into the allegations. The committee concluded that the misconduct was not only proven but also grave enough to warrant removal proceedings under Article 124(4) of the Constitution.
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