On March 23, Sanitation workers discovered burnt fragments of Rs 500 currency notes near the official residence of Delhi High Court judge, Justice Yashwant Varma. The revelation comes just days after a mysterious fire and the release of a Supreme Court report detailing the shocking discovery of four to five sacks of charred cash on the judge’s premises.
The latest discovery raises serious questions about the origin of the money and whether an attempt was made to destroy evidence linked to the ongoing investigation. Justice Varma has denied any involvement, calling it a “conspiracy to frame and malign” him. However, with the Supreme Court stepping in and barring him from judicial duties until further notice, the case has become one of the most sensational scandals to hit India’s judiciary in recent years.
Several sanitation workers assigned to collect garbage from the area near Justice Varma’s residence have confirmed the discovery of burnt currency pieces in the past few days.
Inderjeet, a sanitation worker, recalled finding the charred notes while performing his routine cleaning work. “We collect garbage from the roads. Around 4-5 days ago, while cleaning in this area, we found some small burnt pieces of Rs 500 notes. We didn’t know where they came from. Even today, we found a couple more pieces.”
#WATCH | A sanitation worker, Inderjeet says, "We work in this circle. We collect garbage from the roads. We were cleaning here 4-5 days back and collecting garbage when we found some small pieces of burnt Rs 500 notes. We found it that day. Now, we have found 1-2 pieces…We do… pic.twitter.com/qnLjnYvnfe
— ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2025
Another worker, Surender, who works in the same area, corroborated the discovery. “We have been working here for several days, and this is the first time we have found such burnt notes. Even today, while collecting garbage, we came across a few more pieces,” he said.
#WATCH | A sanitation worker, Surender says, "We work with these garbage vans, we collect garbage. It has been 4-5 days when we found burnt Rs 500 notes. We found some pieces even now…" pic.twitter.com/0Is7Hmo10D
— ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2025
The controversy erupted after the Supreme Court made public a damning internal report on March 22, revealing that multiple sacks filled with burnt currency were discovered inside an outhouse on Justice Varma’s property following a fire on March 14.
According to the report, firefighters responding to the blaze uncovered the sacks of charred notes, leading to immediate concerns over the nature of the money and why it was being stored on the premises.
Justice Varma has strongly denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the allegations are part of a deliberate effort to tarnish his reputation. He has expressed shock over the video footage released by the Supreme Court, which showed piles of burnt currency retrieved from his property. “This is a conspiracy to frame and malign me,” Justice Varma stated, rejecting any knowledge of the existence of such cash at his residence.
Despite his denial, the presence of sacks of burnt cash inside an outhouse on his property has raised serious doubts. The timing of the fire—coinciding with the discovery of the money—has only intensified suspicions.
A crucial finding of the initial inquiry, led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya of the Delhi High Court, is that there was no evidence of forced entry into the storeroom where the burnt currency was found. This strongly suggests that only individuals with regular access to the premises—such as Justice Varma’s staff—could have stored the money there.
“The room where the burnt currency was found did not show any signs of being tampered with. This suggests that only people with regular access, like the judge’s staff, could have been involved in the storage of such materials,” noted Chief Justice Upadhyaya in his findings. The lack of a break-in eliminates the possibility of an external party sneaking in and planting the money, shifting focus toward Justice Varma’s staff and close associates.
Given the gravity of the allegations, the Supreme Court has ordered the formation of a three-member committee to investigate the origins of the burnt currency and the circumstances surrounding the fire.
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