Justice Varma Cash Row: Lawyers Move Supreme Court for Third Time Seeking FIR

The petition filed through Advocate Mathews J. Nedumpara alleges a “systemic breakdown” of legal accountability, asserts that despite clear and alarming evidence of potential criminality, no FIR has been registered to date. This, the petitioners argue, is a gross dereliction of the statutory duty cast upon the Delhi Police and the Union Government, which controls the Delhi Police.

According to the petition, the incident occurred when a fire broke out at Justice Varma’s official residence. The judge’s daughter had summoned the fire department, which arrived along with police officers.

Shockingly, the fire personnel reportedly found several plastic sacks filled with currency notes engulfed in flames. Videos and photographs of the scene were taken and shared internally among officials, but no public disclosure was made until The Times of India broke the story on March 21, 2025.

The petition recounts that Kalki, Private Secretary to Justice Varma, asked police and fire officials to vacate the premises after the fire was extinguished, assuring them that the situation was under control. This, the petition claims, was a blatant obstruction, especially given the highly suspicious nature of the scene.

“The presence of huge volumes of cash, running into crores, at the residence of a judge who routinely handles high-stakes commercial matters, strongly indicates the cash was unaccounted and illegally acquired,” the plea contends. It further states that offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) are clearly made out, triggering a mandatory obligation to investigate.

Rather than initiate criminal proceedings, the Delhi Police reportedly informed the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, who in turn notified the Chief Justice of India. Subsequently, a committee of judges was constituted to “look into the matter.”

The petitioners argue this committee is an “extra-constitutional authority” with no legal mandate to replace police investigation, and its formation has created a dangerous precedent that insulates the judiciary from accountability under the criminal law.

“The police were restrained from doing their job. Instead, an opaque process involving High Court judges investigating a peer was initiated, violating the fundamental principle that judges of constitutional courts are equals and not subject to administrative control by other courts,” the petition states.

The Supreme Court had earlier declined to order an FIR, asking petitioners to await the committee’s findings. Even after the report was allegedly submitted, reportedly indicting Justice Varma, no FIR was registered, prompting the current petition.

The previous petitioners were also advised to approach the President and Prime Minister. While representations were made, the plea states there has been no response or directive to investigate, despite the gravity of the incident.

“What is at stake is the rule of law and the very idea of equality before law,” the petition argues. “There appear to be two sets of laws in this country: one for the ordinary citizen, and another for the elite," it states.

The petition highlights what it calls a “collapse of the criminal justice process in the face of judicial hierarchy,” urging the Court to restore public faith in the system by ensuring that legal procedure is not selectively applied.

In a related news, in May, the Central Public Information Officer, Supreme Court of India had refused to provide information in an RTI application seeking copy of the inhouse inquiry report against Justice Yashwant Varma. The RTI also sought copy of the letter sent by then CJI Sanjiv Khanna to the Prime Minister and President of India.