The Supreme Court has uploaded a report on its official website regarding the alleged discovery of a large stash of cash at the residence of Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma. Firefighters reportedly uncovered piles of charred currency after extinguishing a fire at the property.

The report, which was made public late on Saturday, includes photographs and visuals of the burnt currency. These were shared with Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya by the Delhi Police Commissioner.

Justice Varma denies allegations 

The report also contains a response from Justice Yashwant Varma, who “unequivocally” denied the allegations. He asserted that neither he nor his family members had placed any cash in the storeroom and “strongly denounce the suggestion that the alleged cash belonged to us.”

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“At the cost of repetition, I unequivocally state that neither I nor any of my family members had stored or kept any cash or currency in that storeroom at any point of time. Our cash withdrawals, made from time to time, are all documented and always through regular banking channels, the use of UPI applications and cards. Insofar as the allegation of the recovery of cash, I once again make it clear that no one from my house ever reported seeing any currency in burnt form in the room,” Justice Varma said in his response, as recorded in the report.

Justice Varma calls video evidence a ‘conspiracy’

Justice Varma further claimed that the video and photographs shared by the Police Commissioner did not reflect what he personally witnessed at the site. He termed it a deliberate attempt to frame him.

“It was during our meeting at the High Court Guesthouse that I was first shown the video and other photographs which had been shared with you (Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya) by the Commissioner of Police. I was totally shocked to see the contents of the video since that depicted something which was not found on-site as I had seen it. It was this which prompted me to observe that this clearly appeared to be a conspiracy to frame and malign me,” Justice Varma, in his response as noted in the report, said.

In the report, Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya noted that the Delhi Police Commissioner had mentioned a security guard’s account, stating that debris and burnt items were cleared from the room after the fire on March 15. He also found no signs of unauthorized entry into the premises, apart from the presence of residents, staff, and CPWD workers.

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“On examining the incident reported, the material available and the response of Justice Yashwant Varma, what I find is that the Commissioner of Police in his report dated March 16, 2025 has reported that as per the guard posted at the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma, the debris and other partially burnt articles were removed from the room where the fire had broken out in the morning of March 15, 2025,” Justice Upadhyaya mentions in the report.

“The enquiry conducted by me, prima facie, does not reveal possibility of entry or access to the room by any person other than those residing in the bungalow, the servants, the gardeners and CPWD personnel, if any. Accordingly, I am of the prima facie opinion that the entire matter warrants a deeper probe,” Justice Upadhyaya said in his report dated March 21.

Social media reactions spark debate

The controversy has triggered a wave of reactions on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), where users expressed skepticism and sarcasm over the incident and the judicial system.

One user wrote:

“Some things that justice Yashwant Varma did wrong:
– He should have renamed his house ‘moneytara’, claimed that he had ‘rescued’ the money from criminals and asked a few celebrities to tweet about his noble act.
– He should have invited Rahul Kanwal for an interview and served him some khichdi. Kanwal would sing his praises for days.”

Another user commented:

“They tried to cover it up but it failed due to constant public pressure. Remember no Supreme Court Judge is honest—they have to safeguard their own closets. Judiciary is in a mess because we the people have failed to raise this issue and highlight the corruption.”

Yet another user linked the incident to political developments:

“Fees for keeping Arvind Kejriwal in jail.”