New Delhi, August 12: A parliamentary committee formed by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has held former Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Verma responsible for the cash discovered at his government residence. The committee concluded that Verma failed to provide a satisfactory explanation regarding the presence of the money found in his official quarters.
According to the report presented in Parliament on Wednesday, a significant amount of ₹500 notes was recovered from a storeroom at Justice Verma’s residence located at 30, Tughlak Crescent in New Delhi. No clear information about the cash has been provided.
The issue came to light following a fire at his residence on the night of March 14, 2025. Firefighters, who responded to the blaze, discovered bundles of partially burned cash in the storeroom.
The report indicated that Justice Verma could not offer a credible explanation regarding the source, ownership, or the presence of the cash.
The committee also expressed concerns about the subsequent investigation process. It noted that crucial evidence was neither properly secured nor preserved. The condition of the storeroom was altered before it could be legally sealed for investigation.
Questions were raised in the report regarding the disappearance or unavailability of the recovered cash. The committee attributed the loss of physical evidence to negligence in securing the crime scene and activities conducted by personnel associated with the residence.
However, the committee stated that it found no evidence to prove that Justice Verma personally removed the cash. Criticizing Verma’s responses, particularly his written explanation provided on March 22, 2025, the committee deemed them unsatisfactory, lacking clarity, transparency, and institutional accountability.
This report is divided into two sections, including oral testimonies and documentary evidence collected during the investigation. Previously, an internal inquiry committee set up by then Chief Justice of India Sanjeev Khanna also concluded that Justice Verma had direct or indirect control over the storeroom from which the cash was found.
Following the controversy, Justice Verma, who was serving at the Delhi High Court at the time, was transferred back to his original court at the Allahabad High Court. Subsequently, Parliament initiated the process to remove him from his position. However, this process effectively ended after Justice Verma resigned.
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