The Delhi High Court’s investigation report, along with a video posted on the Supreme Court website, challenges the Delhi Fire Services’ assertion that no cash was found during the fire the firefighter’s efforts at Justice Yashwant Varma’s official residence on March 14.
The video clip, shared by Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora with Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, was uploaded on the Supreme Court’s website as part of the 25-page report on Saturday night.’
The video went viral on social media showing the footage in which
Delhi Fire Services (DFS) firefighters snuffing flames on articles that apparently included half-burnt Indian currency notes.
Earlier, on March 21, DFS chief Atul Garg told PTI that firefighters did not find any cash from Justice Varma’s residence during a fire incident on March 14.
“Soon after dousing the flames, we informed police about the fire incident. Thereafter, a team of fire department personnel left the spot. Our firefighters did not find any cash during the fire-fighting operation,” he had told PTI on March 21.
Justice Upadhyaya’s report reveals that on March 16, the Delhi police chief informed him that Justice Varma’s personal secretary was the first to contact the police control room about the fire at the residence of the judge and that the DFS was not informed separately.
“It has also been informed that the fire service was not informed separately, though once PCR was contacted, the information relating to fire was automatically sent to the Delhi Fire Services,” Justice Upadhyay said, PTI reported.
The apex court on Friday took note of the allegations against Justice Varma, from whose residence a large stash of cash was allegedly discovered during the fire incident.
Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on Saturday constituted a three-member Committee to conduct an inquiry into the allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma, a sitting Judge of the High Court of Delhi after the alleged cash was recovered from the latter’s official residence.