Burnt cash was reported at a Delhi judge's home in 2025. He resigned in 2026; a Parliament panel then found all three charges proved.
A storeroom fire at Justice Yashwant Varma's residence at about 11:35 pm. Responders reportedly saw burnt currency notes. Nothing was seized or counted.
He denied the cash was his, said the storeroom was open to staff and CPWD personnel, and raised a possible conspiracy.
Chief Justice Khanna formed a three-judge committee, withdrew Varma's judicial work and put the reports, photos and a video online.
The Collegium proposed it on 20 March; the government notified it on 28 March. Allahabad was told not to assign him cases.
Justices Nagu, Sandhawalia and Sivaraman found enough substance in the allegations to warrant serious action.
Fire 14 March 2025; inquiry 22 March; in-house report 3 May; Lok Sabha committee 12 August; resignation 10 April 2026; report tabled 12 August 2026.
MPs gave notices to both presiding officers. Speaker Om Birla said 146 Lok Sabha members signed his, including Rahul Gandhi and Ravi Shankar Prasad.
Justices Datta and Masih held his petition not maintainable and said the in-house procedure has legal sanction.
Justice Aravind Kumar, Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and senior advocate B.V. Acharya, under the Judges (Inquiry) Act.
Three High Court judges in 2025; a Supreme Court judge, a High Court Chief Justice and a senior advocate for the Lok Sabha.
The in-house inquiry could recommend; only the statutory one, then Parliament, can remove a judge.
Varma said the Rajya Sabha had yet to decide. The Court found no illegality and gave no relief.
His letter to President Murmu was reported on 10 April, a day before his hearing. Some outlets say it was sent on 9 April.
The committee carried on ex parte after his resignation and submitted its report to Speaker Om Birla.
The committee found unexplained Rs 500 notes, evidence not preserved and evasive explanations. Varma denies the cash was his.
Storeroom open to staff, away from Delhi, notes never counted, a possible plot: how the committee answered each, as reported.
No total amount, no proof he removed the notes, no evidence of a plot, and no criminal conviction.
Notice, admission, committee, report, then a special-majority vote. This case never reached the vote.
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