Supreme Court dismissed plea seeking FIR into alleged cash recovery, calling it misuse of judicial process and publicity.
Petitioner argued Yashwant Varma's retirement removed judicial immunity and sought criminal prosecution after filing formal complaint.
Varma resigned during impeachment proceedings after alleged cash recovery, rendering Parliament's removal process infructuous and ending inquiry.
Yashwant Varma Case: SC Dismisses Plea Seeking FIR And Court-Monitored Probe
Supreme Court dismisses plea seeking FIR and court-monitored probe into cash haul linked to former judge Yashwant Varma, calling the petition judicial process misuse
Summary
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking the registration of an FIR and a court-monitored probe into the purported discovery of a huge stash of cash following a fire at the residence of former Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma.
A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe dismissed the petition filed by advocate Ghanshyam Upadhyay as PTI reported.
Upadhyay argued that resigning from office does not erase criminal liability for unaccounted money. He contended that a retired High Court judge is a public servant with no immunity from prosecution. Upadhyay said to PTI, "Now he is retired also. There is no immunity from prosecution."
Upadhyay submitted that the court dismissed the earlier petition on the technical ground that no complaint had been filed. He noted that he had filed a formal complaint in this case.
Justice Narasimha said, "You are an advocate. This is just a misuse of the judicial process. All for cheap publicity. We are not inclined to entertain this. Dismissed."
Impeachment and Resignation
Varma, who faced impeachment proceedings for his removal over corruption allegations after wads of burnt currency notes were recovered from his Delhi residence, resigned on April 9, 2026. He submitted his resignation in a letter to President Droupadi Murmu.
The resignation rendered the rare removal proceedings initiated by the Lok Sabha against Varma "infructuous". To avoid removal by Parliament, Varma withdrew from the ongoing inquiry proceedings by a Lok Sabha-appointed panel.
He was due to superannuate on January 5, 2031.
The Fire Incident
The purported discovery of the cash stash occurred after a fire broke out at Varma's Lutyens' Delhi residence at around 11:35 pm on Holi, March 14, 2025. Varma was then a Delhi High Court judge.
Fire department personnel rushed to the spot to douse the flames and discovered the wads of burnt currency notes.
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