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New Delhi: Nearly a year after a fire at his official residence triggered a major controversy involving the discovery of large amounts of cash, Supreme Court Justice Yashwant Varma has issued a detailed personal statement denying any knowledge of the currency and accusing the media of pushing a “clear narrative” that the cash belonged to him.

The incident occurred during the Holi court holiday in March 2025. According to Justice Varma, he and his spouse had left the capital on March 12 for a short vacation with friends.  

“During the Holi break of the high court in 2025, my spouse and I travelled for a short vacation with friends on 12.03.2025. While we were at a remote location with limited mobile connectivity, a fire occurred in a storeroom located within the premises,” the judge stated.

Emergency services from the Delhi Fire Services and Delhi Police responded to the blaze. Some officials at the scene recorded videos and photographs that later went viral, showing bundles of cash inside the storeroom. Justice Varma said he was completely unaware of the unfolding events at the time.

“I learned about the occurrence of the fire only around 1:10/1:15 a.m. on 15.03.2025, by which time (as emerges from the record), the fire had not only been brought under control, these photos and videos had been recorded,” he explained.

“I was not informed about the recording of these photos or videos, nor was I aware of the presence or discovery of such currency/cash. I returned to the premises in the evening of 15.03.2025,” he said.

It was only on March 17 that the judge was finally briefed about the existence of the videos and the police investigation. Within days, the footage was uploaded to the Supreme Court’s official website, sparking a media storm that framed the cash as his personal property.

“It was on 17.03.2025 that I was made aware of some of these photos/videos and was informed that the matter was under investigation. Shortly thereafter, these videos were published on the website of the hon’ble supreme court of India, and the entire episode was sensationally reported in the media with the clear narrative that the cash belonged to me,” Justice Varma said in the statement.

The controversy had erupted after the videos showed what appeared to be stacks of currency notes being recovered from the storeroom of the judge’s residence. The footage, combined with the judge’s absence at the time of the fire, fuelled widespread speculation and criticism about judicial integrity and unexplained wealth.

Justice Varma’s statement marks his first direct and comprehensive response to the allegations, positioning the discovery as something that happened in his absence without his knowledge or involvement.

In a dramatic development, Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court submitted his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu on Friday, just as he was set to begin presenting his defence before a parliamentary inquiry committee probing allegations against him.

The resignation letter, dated April 9, 2026, was worded in restrained terms: “While I do not propose to burden your august office with the reasons which have constrained me to submit this missive, it is with deep anguish that I hereby tender my resignation from the office of Judge of the Hon’ble High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, with immediate effect.”

The move comes more than a year after the controversy erupted on March 14, 2025, when firefighters attending a blaze at Justice Varma’s official residence in Delhi discovered a large quantity of half-burnt currency notes in an outhouse. Justice Varma, who was then serving on the Delhi High Court, was not present at the property at the time.

The incident led to an in-house inquiry by a Supreme Court-appointed committee, which concluded that he had exercised “secret or active control” over the cash. The committee drew adverse inferences from his conduct, including his failure to promptly inspect the site or report the matter.