Justice Varma Found Guilty in High-Profile Cash Scandal

An inquiry panel has found Justice Yashwant Varma guilty on all charges related to the discovery of unexplained cash in his official residence's storeroom. The panel criticized his inadequate explanations and failure to secure evidence. The findings further questioned Varma's adherence to judicial standards.

A Parliament-appointed inquiry panel has concluded that Justice Yashwant Varma is guilty of all charges concerning the 'recovery of cash from a storeroom' at his official residence. The charges were presented in reports submitted to both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. According to the panel, a significant amount of Rs 500 notes was discovered, and Varma, who resigned as High Court Judge in April, failed to adequately explain the source, ownership, or presence of the money.

The inquiry further explored the events following the discovery of the cash. It was reported that the storeroom was tampered with before it could be sealed and inspected, thus affecting the integrity of the evidence. Despite initially denying the allegations, Justice Varma later proposed various explanations, including theories of planted evidence or potential conspiracies.

However, the panel noted a lack of proof supporting these theories. It also observed that key staff members were not called upon as defense witnesses and that no formal complaints were filed to support claims of planting or evidence tampering. Consequently, the panel highlighted the failure to preserve evidence and deemed Varma's explanations evasive and misleading, ultimately finding him guilty of conduct unbecoming of a constitutional court judge.