ALL ALLEGATIONS AGAINST JUSTICE VERMA SUSSTANTIATED

ALL ALLEGATIONS AGAINST JUSTICE VERMA SUSSTANTIATED

13-AUG-ENG 5

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

DELHI----------------------------A parliamentary inquiry committee has found all three complaints against Justice Yashwant Verma to be valid. The report of the three-member committee, constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, was tabled in both Houses of Parliament on Wednesday. The matter pertains to burnt ₹500 notes discovered in the storeroom of his government residence in New Delhi. According to an IANS report, the committee concluded that—in addition to the lack of a satisfactory explanation regarding the source and presence of the cash—allegations concerning the tampering of evidence and the nature of his defense were also substantiated. [1]

In its inquiry, the committee noted that Justice Verma could not provide a satisfactory account regarding the large quantity of cash found in the storeroom. According to the report, he failed to clarify whose money it was or how it had arrived there. The investigation examined not only the allegations regarding the cash but also the handling of evidence and the nature of his responses. The committee stated that, based on available testimonies and other documentary evidence, the grounds for all three allegations were proven.

The report also raises serious questions regarding the condition of the storeroom following the fire. According to the committee, crucial material at the scene was not properly secured, and the site's condition was altered before the investigation could be concluded or the area legally sealed. Investigators viewed this not merely as a procedural lapse but as a significant factor that impacted the evidence. The committee deemed this aspect crucial to understanding the entire incident of the cash discovery and the subsequent actions taken.

Justice Verma had put forward several possibilities regarding the discovery of the cash. These included the suggestion that the money had been placed there by another person or planted as part of a conspiracy. However, the committee stated that no concrete material was presented to substantiate these claims. The report further noted that his explanations could not withstand scrutiny when compared with the statements of independent government witnesses and other corroborating evidence. The committee characterized his responses as evasive and lacking the expected level of transparency.

The inquiry report also mentions a conversation that took place with staff members around 2:00 AM. The committee stated that Justice Verma did not clarify what transpired during that conversation or whether any instructions were issued. The concerned staff members were not presented as witnesses in his defense either. The committee also noted that no FIR or formal complaint regarding the storage of cash or tampering with evidence had surfaced. The committee considered these circumstances significant while evaluating his arguments.

This inquiry followed an earlier internal probe. That investigation, conducted on the orders of the then Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, had also concluded that Justice Verma exercised active or tacit control over the storeroom. Following the escalation of the controversy, he was repatriated to his parent court, the Allahabad High Court. In July 2025, over 200 MPs moved a motion seeking his removal. The following month, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla constituted a three-member judicial inquiry committee.

The committee submitted its report to the Lok Sabha Speaker in May, and it has now been formally tabled in both Houses of Parliament, accompanied by two volumes. These volumes contain the oral and documentary evidence gathered during the inquiry. Since Justice Verma has resigned, the parliamentary process for his removal has effectively become infructuous. However, the formal notification regarding his resignation from the Ministry of Law is reportedly still pending. Nevertheless, the report has placed the committee's findings on record.