The inquiry committee investigating the sensational ‘cash-in-kothi’ case involving Justice Yashwant Varma has revealed a suspicious turn of events in its latest report. The panel, comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu (Punjab & Haryana High Court), Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia (Himachal Pradesh High Court), and Justice Anu Sivaraman (Karnataka High Court), flagged the presence of an “unidentified man in a check shirt” near doused, half-burnt sacks of cash in one of the first photos taken by emergency responders on the early morning of March 15.
This finding raises serious doubts about whether the man — potentially acting in collaboration with Justice Varma’s private secretary Mr. Rajinder Singh Karki and household staffers Mr. Mohd Rahil, Babloo, and others — may have been involved in removing the illicit cash pile sometime between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. that day.
Video Evidence Contradicts Witness Accounts
The panel report notes that a photo taken at the scene shows a firefighter with a torch at the storeroom entrance, filming the debris while an unidentified individual is clearly visible to the right. According to the committee, Justice Varma’s daughter, his ailing mother (who was not questioned), Mr. Karki, and the trusted domestic staff were present at the judge’s 30, Tughlaq Crescent residence at the time of the fire.
Despite this, all of them denied seeing any burnt currency, a claim the panel categorically dismissed as implausible, especially in light of forensically authenticated videos and electronic evidence.
Justice Varma’s daughter, listed as Witness-54, was the only family member present (apart from the mother) during the incident. Her responses during questioning were described by the committee as evasive and unconvincing. When confronted with footage of the burnt cash, she attempted to suggest the video may have shown a different location altogether — a claim the panel labeled as a “lame explanation.”
Private Secretary’s Testimony Discredited
Adding to the inconsistencies, Mr. Karki denied early knowledge of the fire, claiming he learned of the incident 6-7 days later. However, his voice was clearly heard in the footage recorded on the night of the fire, a fact he eventually admitted. Justice Varma’s daughter, however, refused to acknowledge the voice, further eroding her credibility before the panel.
Staff Loyalty and Contradictions Raise Red Flags
The panel also explored the long-standing loyalty of the domestic staff to Justice Varma, suggesting that this close association might explain their efforts to deny or obscure facts. The inquiry report emphasizes that their statements were riddled with contradictions, especially when compared with video and forensic evidence.
With these revelations, the report casts a long shadow over the integrity of those involved, suggesting deliberate obfuscation of facts and possible tampering with key evidence in one of the most high-profile judicial controversies in recent times.
