Justice Varma Impeachment Case: From Half-Burnt Notes To Recording Videos, Multiple Witnesses Reveal Crucial Details

Justice Yashwant Varma came under investigation in March after a fire at his official residence led to the discovery of a significant amount of cash, allegedly stacked up to 1.5 feet high. 

A Supreme Court-appointed inquiry has confirmed the recovery and criticized the judge’s failure to report the matter to authorities, calling his conduct “unnatural.” Following the incident, Justice Varma was transferred back to the Allahabad High Court but has not been assigned any judicial responsibilities.

Despite mounting pressure, he has not resigned or opted for voluntary retirement, insisting the inquiry process was “fundamentally unjust.” The panel has now recommended his removal from the judiciary.

Here’s what the multiple witnesses revealed as per the report accessed by NewsX:

“I personally checked by peeping inside the room”

The report reveals that one witness named Ankit Sehwag, Fire Officer shared, “After receiving the information from Pradeep Kumar FO-520/65 and Parvindra Malik F027/66 (personnel of WB-22) that there were currency notes which had caught fire inside the store room, I personally checked by peeping inside the room with the help of torch and found that large number currency notes of denomination of Rs. 500/- were half burnt.”

He added, “Because of water spray, the burnt currency notes had become wet and had also been singed by fire. But from whatever was left of the unburnt notes, it was visible that they were of Rs. 500/- denomination.” When asked as to whether he made any panchnama report, the witness informs that this is the job of Manoj Mehlawat, Station Officer. “The said Pradeep Kumar and Parvindra Malik had further told me that they had informed about the currency inside the store room having caught fire to their Incharge Station Officer Manoj Mehlawat.”

“I felt something touch my feet”

Pradeep Kumar, Fire Officer, Delhi Fire Services, as per the report, shares, “While dousing the fire, we were standing outside the store room and pointing the jet of water inside the store room, but without entering the store room. When I could enter the store room, I felt something touch my feet. On close scrutiny, I found that there was something which appeared like currency notes which became visible because of reflection. I immediately informed Prakash Chand Meena who was standing immediately outside the store room. Sh. Prakash Chand Meena thereafter informed Manoj Mehlawat. Thereafter, Manoj Mehlawat came with a rechargeable torch and came inside the store room. Thereafter, on the instruction of Manoj Mehlawat, I pulled down certain burning debris on the ledge.”

“The currency notes were being pulled down from the shelf”

Another witness in the Justice Varma impeachment case, Manoj Mehlawat, Station Officer, Delhi Fire Services, revealed, “I did take two photographs of the store room where the fire had erupted. I was told by Parkash Chand Meena LFM 16/62 that there were currency notes in the room, which had caught fire, which I also saw at that point of time. The notes which were visible at the site were of Rs. 500/- denomination and were singed by fire and also got wet in the process of dousing. The embers were still burning on the shelf and, therefore, we pulled them down by instructing Pradeep Kumar to do the needful and to spread out the debris to reduce the heat. I cannot tell for sure whether the fire occured by short circuit, though there was no electric heater in the room. The currency notes were being pulled down from the shelf and had fallen during the process.”

The witness admits that it is his voice, whereby he is saying that

 “Mahatma Gandhi mein aag lag rahi hai bhai”.

Witness denies that video has been made by him, though he admits that he had taken two still photographs, but the video had been sent to him.

“I was shocked and surprised”

The report accessed by NewsX also revealed information about another witness. Hanwar Singh, Driver, 48/61, Delhi Fire Services stated, “As I entered, I noticed that on the right hand side and in front, there was large pile of cash only of Rs. 500/-denomination lying on the floor. I am not sure whether any such notes of Rs. 500/- denomination were there on the ledge or not. I was shocked and surprised such large amount of cash which was strewn on the floor which I saw for the first time in my life. Pradeep Kumar and Parvindra Malik were also working inside the store room where I was also present. They were busy dousing the embers. The witness was shown the video accompanied with the letter from the office of Hon’ble the Chief Justice of India which is marked as exhibit ‘V1’.”

“There were stacks of half-burnt currency notes on the ground”

Witness named Pravindra Malik, Fire Officer, 27/66, Delhi Fire Services, as per the report said, “After the smoke was reduced to some extent, the visibility was restored inside the store room, I saw that there were stacks of half burnt currency notes on the ground. I found half-burnt currency notes lying on the right side inside the store room. The currency notes were of 500 denomination and it appeared to have been kept in plastic bags which were almost burnt completely.”

He added, “The stock pile of half burnt currency notes of denomination of 500 were seen by me, Pradeep, Fire Operator, Manoj Mehlawat, and Ankit. My remaining colleagues of the fire station were standing outside the store room. All of my colleagues of the fire station who were available on the spot saw pile of half burnt notes inside the store room, including the police personnel. The entire exercise of arriving at the scene of the fire and dousing of the same took around one hour.”

“I was a little bewildered on seeing the incident”

Mehlawat, Station officer in the report revealed, “Due to the pressure of the water hose, the half-burnt currency notes on the floor of the store were being thrown out. Thereafter, I came out and rang up my superior, Rajinder Atwal (Divisional officer). I do not remember his number since it is stored in my telephone number 9718289900. My phone has been seized by the Chief Fire Officer Varinder Singh on 23.03.2025 (Sunday).”

He added, “I informed my Divisional Officer that in the fire incident, there were currency notes of 500 denomination which had been affected by fire which I had seen with the help of a torch light provided by the Station Officer Manoj Mehlawat. The said notes were smoldering and were in a heap and due to the water pressure and were flaking up and there was some difficulty in seeing them on account of the smoke in the room. I did not identify the cause of the fire as our job is more related to dousing of the fire and preventing casualty. I was a little bewildered on seeing the incident and my senior officer had informed me that since high ups are involved you should not further take any action. He however, told me to get in touch with some responsible official attached with the resident of the house and inform him accordingly. Resultantly, I got in touch with Mr. Rajinder Singh Karki, Private Secretary, who was present at the site. The verification was made by him, but he stated that the fire was in stationery and in domestic items only. I did not contradict him regarding this aspect. The incident was witnessed by one and all who were present at the site.”

“I did not take any other photographs”

Rajesh Kumar HC No. 523/ND PIS NO. 28094422 Police Station Tughlak Road New Delhi shared, “At a later point of time when the fire was being cooled off and the burning embers were spread I saw with my own eyes that there were remnants of burnt currency of 500 denomination and they were lying spread all over the floor of the store room. At that point of time I did not take any other photographs and therefore, I could not send the same to my Superior officer ASI Tej Pal. There were other people taking the videos and seeing the site in question. I have been shown videos Ext. V-1 in which the fire fighters were working and it is the same place where I visited on the intervening night of 14th and 15 March, 2025 along with constable Chaman. The visibility of the notes was easier with the help of torch.”

“I made three videos of the fire incident”

Sunil Kumar No. 2191/PCR (PIS No. 28092876) Incharge ICPCR Van stated, “Then I peeped inside the store and I saw the currency on the floor which were partly burnt and some fully burnt. The fireman outside was with the torch with the help of which I could see that there were currency notes. I made a call to my superior SI Mahesh from my number 9810489098 to inform him about the said development of burning of currency notes while going on the side who stated that he was already pre-occupied in a suicide case and could not come to the location.”

One added, “The first call which I made at 23:55:08 was to find out the telephone number of my superior SI Mahesh. The witness is not sure as to from which person he got the number of his superior SI Mahesh in order to clarify as to how he made two calls at that point of time while deployed at the place of incident. I made three videos of the fire incident which I forwarded to SI Mahesh. My phone has been seized on 23.3.2025 (Sunday) by my superior officer due to the inquiry proceedings. There were other people also making the videos of fire in order to see the currency which had caught fire.”

“Stack of half-burnt currency lying on the floor was about 1% of a foot in height”

Umesh Malik, S.H.O. Police Station Tughlak Road, Delhi, stated, “When the flame was doused with the help of the light from torches of the fire fighters, I saw that half burnt currency notes of denomination of Rs. 500/- were lying intact and on right side of the store room. There were also some burnt notes stacked on the ledge on the right side of the store house which on being pulled down by the firefighters, dropped on the floor. The stack of half burnt currency lying on the floor was about 1% feet height. The stack of half burnt currency notes on the ledge on right hand side was also of one and half feet high.”

The witness also informed that the currency notes were on the floor from the door of the store house to the opposite wall at the end. The witness informs that there was extreme heat in the room. Since there was extreme heat created by the fire, he did not enter in the store house. Except the fire fighters nobody entered in the store room. 

Although Justice Varma’s domestic staff denied witnessing any cash, the inquiry panel stated there was no valid reason to dismiss the independent testimonies of police and fire department officials.

The committee also rejected Justice Varma’s claim that the incident was a conspiracy to tarnish his reputation, stating, “The currency notes were observed by multiple individuals and documented in real time. The idea that they were planted to falsely implicate him is highly implausible.”

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