Former Supreme Court judge Sanjay Kishan Kaul has questioned the investigation into the recovery of unaccounted and partially burnt cash from the official residence of Justice Yashwant Varma, saying the circumstances surrounding the incident raised several unanswered questions.
Speaking to ANI, Justice Kaul said he felt the investigation was improper, pointing to the failure to establish the cause of the fire at the premises where the cash was found. “I felt the investigation was improper because somebody would have found out at least the cause of the fire,” he said.
Describing the case as troubling, Justice Kaul said Justice Varma had a strong legal background and had faced no complaints during his tenures in Allahabad and Delhi.
“There were too many questions, too many ifs and buts in it,” he said, adding that while the recovery of cash warranted further investigation, Justice Varma had been “damned” completely.
The cash was recovered from the official residence of Justice Varma, then a Delhi High Court judge, on August 12, 2025. Following an internal inquiry, then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna recommended to the President and the Prime Minister that the procedure for Justice Varma’s removal be initiated.
Justice Varma resigned on April 10. However, a three-member inquiry committee constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla subsequently indicted him in connection with the cash recovery.
The committee’s report was tabled in both Houses of Parliament on August 12 during the Monsoon Session, but no discussion took place amid a stand-off between the treasury and Opposition benches over several issues.
Birla is expected to consult political parties before making a decision on the matter in the next session of Parliament.
Last year, 145 Lok Sabha members signed a motion seeking Justice Varma’s impeachment under Articles 124, 217 and 218 of the Constitution. The signatories included MPs from the Congress, TDP, JD(U), JD(S), Jana Sena Party, AGP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and CPI(M), among others.
(With inputs from ANI)