SC dismisses plea seeking SIT probe into Yashwant Varma case
What's the story
The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the "burnt currency" incident involving former Delhi High Court Justice Yashwant Varma. The bench, headed by Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe, dismissed the petition as an attempt at "cheap publicity." The petitioner, advocate Ghanshyam Upadhayay, had sought registration of a First Information Report (FIR) and an SIT probe into unaccounted cash allegedly found at Justice Varma's residence.
Case details
Fire at Justice Varma's residence
The controversy began in March 2025 when a fire broke out at Justice Varma's official residence.
Videos surfaced showing bundles of currency notes burning in the fire.
At the time, Justice Varma and his wife were traveling in Madhya Pradesh, while only his daughter and elderly mother were present at home.
He denied any knowledge or ownership of the cash, calling it a conspiracy to malign him.
Inquiry process
Inquiry panel recommends Varma's resignation
The then Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna formed a three-member in-house inquiry committee to probe the allegations.
The panel, which included Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia, and Karnataka High Court Judge Anu Sivaraman, submitted its report in May 2025.
Based on the report, CJI Khanna asked Justice Varma to resign or face impeachment proceedings.
Removal proceedings
Removal proceedings initiated against Varma
After Justice Varma declined to resign, CJI Khanna recommended his removal to the President and Prime Minister.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla initiated removal proceedings in Parliament by forming a three-member panel to probe the allegations against him.
The panel included Supreme Court judge Justice Aravind Kumar, Madras High Court Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, and Senior Advocate BV Acharya.
Legal proceedings
Justice Varma resigns from post
The Supreme Court refused to interfere with the inquiry proceedings against Justice Varma, ruling that the Lok Sabha Speaker was competent to constitute the Judges Inquiry Committee.
In April 2026, Justice Varma resigned before the removal process could be completed.
The SC dismissed Upadhayay's petition on Friday, saying it was filed for "cheap publicity."
The petitioner had claimed no FIR had been registered despite submitting a detailed complaint to several agencies.