Justice Yashwant Varma, who faced removal proceedings following the alleged discovery of unaccounted cash at his official residence, has been found guilty by a three-member inquiry committee appointed by the Lok Sabha.
The panel’s report, tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, said substantial unexplained ₹500 denomination currency notes were found in a storeroom at Justice Varma’s official residence at 30, Tughlaq Crescent, New Delhi. The committee said he failed to provide a satisfactory explanation regarding the presence, source or ownership of the cash.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
The report also noted that the evidentiary condition of the storeroom was disturbed before it could be lawfully sealed and inspected. It said the subsequent non-availability of the currency notes remained unexplained.
The controversy began after a fire broke out at Justice Varma’s residence on March 14 last year. Firefighters reportedly discovered burnt currency in the storeroom while responding to the blaze.
Justice Varma has since resigned, making the removal proceedings virtually infructuous. His resignation, however, is yet to be notified by the Law Ministry. The inquiry panel submitted its findings to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in May.
