Cash recovery row: Delhi Police team led by DCP visits Delhi HC judge’s residence

 SC refuses urgent mentioning of plea seeking FIR into case

PTI, NEW DELHI, MARCH 26, 2025 :  A team led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) on Wednesday visited the residence of Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma in connection with the investigation into the alleged discovery of cash after a fire in his house, official sources said.

The team visited Varma's house around 1:50 PM and left two hours later. The police team, however, did not address the media and reached Tughlaq Road Police Station after leaving Varma's house.

Earlier, police sources said the team was visiting to inspect the place where the fire occurred and may question the staff working in the judge's residence.

On March 22, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) constituted a three-member committee to conduct an in-house inquiry into the allegations and decided to upload the inquiry report of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyay of the Delhi High Court regarding the incident. The report included photos and videos of the alleged discovery of a huge stash of cash.

Justice Varma denounced the allegations and said no cash was ever placed in the storeroom either by him or any of his family members.

In a related development, the Supreme Court on Wednesday refused an urgent mentioning of a plea seeking a direction to Delhi Police to lodge an FIR in the case. A bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna was urged by lawyer Mathews J. Nedumpara that the plea be listed for an urgent hearing before a bench, as it pertained to a larger public interest.

The CJI, who has stopped the practice of oral mentioning of cases for urgent listing, said that the plea would come up. The lawyer said that the apex court has done a "commendable job" but argued that an FIR was needed.

"Don't make public statements," the CJI said.

A woman and co-petitioner in the matter said that if such a case was against a common citizen, several probe agencies like the CBI and ED would have been after that person.

"This is quite enough. The plea will come up accordingly," the CJI said.

A plea was filed by Nedumpara and three others on Sunday seeking a direction to the police to lodge an FIR in the matter.