Justice Verma (Social Media)
National News: The mysterious discovery of partially burnt cash inside the official residence of a Delhi High Court judge has sent shockwaves through India’s judicial and administrative systems. The incident, which took place at Justice Yashwant Verma’s government bungalow in the capital’s elite Tughlaq Crescent area, has prompted urgent communication between Delhi Police, the Union Home Ministry, and the higher judiciary.
Around 11:30 PM on March 14, emergency responders, including fire brigade units and Delhi Police personnel, rushed to Justice Verma’s bungalow following a distress call about a fire. The blaze was reported in the storeroom of the residence.
While extinguishing the fire, responders noticed several sacks that were smoldering and emitting a pungent, burnt smell. Upon opening them, authorities discovered bundles of ₹500 currency notes—partially charred but unmistakably cash.
Two head constables, Roopchand and Sunil Kumar, captured videos of the scene—lasting 67 and 70 seconds, respectively—using their mobile phones. The footage was later sent for forensic analysis.
Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora first briefed Union Home Minister Amit Shah about this sensational development on the morning of March 15. In the preliminary report sent by Arora, it was mentioned that partially burnt Indian currency was recovered from four to five sacks at the scene. After informing the Ministry of Home Affairs, Arora also contacted the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, D.K. Upadhyay, and shared pictures and videos of the incident site. As the Chief Justice was in Lucknow on Holi vacation, he subsequently passed on this sensitive information to the then Acting Chief Justice, Sanjiv Khanna.
In response to the explosive findings, a high-level inquiry committee was constituted comprising:
The committee collected and examined the phones used to shoot the videos, sending them to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Chandigarh for authentication. The CFSL has verified the footage as authentic and unaltered.
The panel confirmed that the video evidence was not only forensically valid but also corroborated by independent eyewitnesses—including police officers and firefighters who were present at the scene.
According to the panel’s report, the material is admissible under Section 329 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), India’s new criminal procedure code.
Legal observers say that if a clear link is established between the recovered cash and Justice Verma, it could lead to charges under anti-corruption laws in addition to a serious breach of judicial conduct and service rules. However, no formal FIR has been filed yet.
This incident—unfolding at the heart of the capital’s judicial machinery—raises grave questions about transparency, ethics, and accountability at the highest levels of the judiciary. The ongoing investigation is not just about unearthing illegal cash; it may redefine public trust in judicial impartiality. The coming days will reveal whether this was an isolated incident or the tip of a deeper, systemic malaise.
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