Chief Justice of India (CJI) has forwarded a report, prepared under the In-House Procedure, to the Hon’ble President and Prime Minister of India, along with a written response from Justice Yashwant Varma.

The report, dated May 3, 2025, was submitted by a three-member inquiry committee constituted in the aftermath of a fire at Justice Varma’s official residence in Delhi on March 14. The incident led to the alleged recovery of unaccounted cash, prompting questions of judicial propriety.

At the time of the fire, Justice Varma and his wife were in Madhya Pradesh, while only his daughter and elderly mother were present at the residence. A video purportedly showing charred bundles of currency notes surfaced online shortly after the incident, leading to allegations of corruption. Denying all allegations, Justice Varma described the incident as part of a conspiracy aimed at maligning him.

The CJI ordered an in-house inquiry on March 22, resulting in a report by a panel comprising Chief Justices Sheel Nagu (Punjab & Haryana High Court), G.S. Sandhawalia (Himachal Pradesh High Court), and Justice Anu Sivaraman (Karnataka High Court).

In a rare move, the Supreme Court also released a preliminary report by the Delhi High Court Chief Justice, the controversial video, and Justice Varma’s written explanation to the public.

Following the developments, Justice Varma was repatriated to the Allahabad High Court, where he recently took oath. However, under directions from the CJI, he has not been assigned any judicial work. His return has been met with resistance from the Allahabad High Court Bar Association, which staged a strike in protest.

A plea seeking the registration of an FIR against Justice Varma was declined by the Supreme Court, which noted that the matter was already under inquiry. Meanwhile, Justice Varma is reported to have consulted senior advocates, including Siddharth Agarwal and Arundhati Katju. Unconfirmed reports also indicate that the CJI advised him to consider resignation or face possible impeachment.

The matter now rests with the executive, pending further action based on the CJI’s communication of the inquiry findings.