Justice Verma Fire Scandal: Crores in Cash Found in Delhi VIP Bungalow
"Fire in the House of Justice: The Mysterious Blaze, Bundles of Cash, and a Scandal That Shook India’s Judiciary"
By Right to Justice Team
New Delhi, March 2025
"Mahatma Gandhi is on fire. Mahatma Gandhi is burning, brother."
These were the startling words of a fire department officer as he stepped into a smoke-filled storage room in one of New Delhi’s most secure VIP neighborhoods. The comment wasn’t about the Father of the Nation literally being aflame — it was about the wads of ₹500 currency notes, bearing Mahatma Gandhi’s image, that lay charred and scattered on the floor.
What began as an emergency fire call on the night of March 14, 2025, soon spiraled into one of the most sensational scandals involving the Indian judiciary in recent history. Our investigative team spent weeks reviewing Supreme Court reports, official inquiry documents, testimonies of 55 witnesses, CCTV timelines, and exclusive videos captured at the scene to piece together what really happened that night and in the chaotic days that followed.
This is the full story.
The Fire Call That Sparked a National Controversy
At around 11:30 p.m. on March 14, the Delhi Fire Service received an urgent distress call reporting a blaze at 30 Tughlaq Crescent, an upscale and heavily guarded government bungalow in the Lutyens’ Delhi area. This wasn’t an ordinary residence — the property belonged to Justice Yashwant Verma, a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court.
Within minutes, 11 firefighters and 11 Delhi Police officers reached the location. They found that the fire wasn’t in the main residence but in an adjacent storage room, located near the staff quarters and CRPF security barracks. The bungalow is surrounded by high-profile neighbors — including a Member of Parliament and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw — making it one of the most secure zones in the country.
Upon arrival, officers discovered that the storage room door was locked. Two CRPF personnel broke the lock with wooden planks, allowing firefighters to enter and douse the flames with high-pressure water jets. Inside, the fire was being fueled by a liquor cabinet, causing bottles to explode. After nearly an hour of firefighting, the flames were under control.
Then came the discovery that would shake the judicial corridors of India.
"Mahatma Gandhi is Burning": The Discovery of Charred Currency
As firefighters inspected the smoldering room, one officer felt something unusual beneath his boots. When he shone his flashlight downward, he froze. Scattered on the blackened floor were bundles of ₹500 notes, some partially burnt, others intact, tied in transparent plastic bags. There were so many that the floor appeared carpeted with cash. Estimates later suggested the stash could have been worth ₹15 crore (approx. USD 1.8 million).
Another firefighter, stunned at the sight, reportedly exclaimed:
"Look! Mahatma Gandhi is on fire, brother!"
The remark, caught on video, referred to the iconic image of Mahatma Gandhi printed on Indian banknotes. Soon, photos and videos were being taken by fire officials and later shared within official circles. These clips would become key evidence in a case that spiraled from a simple fire into a full-blown judicial scandal.
Who Lives There?
At the time of the fire, Justice Verma and his wife were away on vacation at Satpura Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. At home were:
- Their daughter
- His ailing mother
- Domestic staff, including private secretary Rajendra Singh Tarki
- CRPF security personnel
According to official records, the first alert about the fire came from household staff to Rajendra, who then called the fire department. When the flames were extinguished, Rajendra reportedly told police officers that the room contained only “old household junk” — nothing of significant value.
But the videos told a different story.
The Timeline of Events: What Happened That Night?
- 11:40 p.m.: Firefighters and Delhi Police reach the site. The storage room is locked.
- 11:50 p.m.: CRPF personnel break the lock. Firefighters begin spraying jets inside.
- 12:10 a.m.: Flames are largely under control.
- 12:15 a.m.: Fire officers spot charred currency bundles on the floor.
- 12:20 a.m.: Videos and photographs are taken. Officers notify their divisional head.
- 12:30 a.m.: Divisional officer instructs the team: “VIP matter. Avoid chaos. Report quietly.”
- 12:40 a.m.: Fire officers inform Rajendra Singh about the cash. He dismisses the claim, saying: “Impossible. That room has nothing but scrap.”
- 1:30 a.m.: After an hour-long operation, the fire is declared extinguished. Police and firefighters leave. Rajendra tells them: “We tried to inform Justice Verma but couldn’t reach him.”
The next day, however, Delhi’s top judicial and law enforcement circles were buzzing with whispers.
Delhi’s Top Brass Gets Involved
On March 15 at 4:50 p.m., Delhi Police Commissioner called Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay of the Delhi High Court, informing him that “burnt currency bundles were found at Justice Verma’s official residence.” Within hours, the matter reached Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, who ordered an immediate inquiry.
The Commissioner also disclosed two critical details:
- The storage room was always locked and lay within the bungalow compound, making unauthorized entry nearly impossible.
- A CRPF guard reported that “a few hours after the fire, someone tampered with the storeroom and removed burnt material.”
By that evening, Chief Justice Upadhyay dispatched his registrar to inspect the site. However, the registrar’s report — curiously — made no mention of the burnt currency despite videos and eyewitness testimonies suggesting otherwise.
Justice Verma’s First Response
When summoned by the Chief Justice on March 17, Justice Verma denied any knowledge of the cash. He claimed:
- The fire occurred in a “storeroom used by staff for junk furniture and mattresses.”
- The room was accessible to domestic workers and gardeners and was “never locked.”
- He suggested the videos showing currency were part of a “conspiracy to frame him.”
- He reiterated: “I conduct all financial transactions through official banking channels. I do not deal in cash.”
However, when shown the videos, Verma appeared visibly shocked but maintained his stance: “I have no clue where this cash came from.”
The Media Storm and Judicial Backlash
By March 20, news of the incident leaked, triggering a media frenzy. Headlines screamed of a “Cash-for-Justice” scandal, shaking public faith in the judiciary. Social media erupted with memes quoting the viral phrase:
"Mahatma Gandhi is burning."
On March 21, the Supreme Court ordered Justice Verma’s transfer to the Allahabad High Court, calling it an “administrative necessity.” But this move sparked outrage among legal circles. The Allahabad High Court Bar Association wrote to the Supreme Court:
"We are not a dustbin for tainted judges."
The Bar alleged that Justice Verma’s appointment lacked due diligence and demanded a transparent probe.
The Flip-Flop Statements: Fire Department Denies Cash Discovery
Just as the scandal peaked, a twist emerged. Delhi Fire Service Chief Atul Garg publicly stated:
"Our firefighters did not see any cash at the site. After extinguishing the fire, we handed over the premises to police and left."
This contradicted multiple eyewitness accounts, video evidence, and even the informal remarks of firefighters at the scene. Was this an attempt to downplay the controversy? Or were higher powers at play?
Justice Verma’s Detailed Written Defense
In a six-page submission to the Supreme Court, Verma wrote:
- The fire was in “staff quarters, not the main residence.”
- The storeroom was “never locked” and “accessible to all staff.”
- No official report confirmed cash recovery.
- He claimed: “This incident has tarnished my reputation, built over decades. I should be judged by my judicial record, not baseless allegations.”
But by now, the Supreme Court had constituted a three-member committee to dig deeper.
The Committee Investigation: 55 Witnesses, 10 Meetings, and Startling Findings
Between March 25 and April 27, the committee met 10 times, interviewed 55 witnesses, reviewed CCTV footage, and examined photographs and call records. Their mandate: answer three key questions.
- Was cash present in the storeroom?
- If yes, where did it come from?
- Who removed the burnt currency after the fire?
Key Revelations
- Multiple Fire Officers Confirmed Seeing Cash: One officer testified, “I felt something under my boots. When I bent down, I saw burnt notes. Water pressure was pushing charred currency out of the room.”
- Police Testimony Corroborated Firemen’s Accounts: An officer recorded three videos, later sent to his senior via WhatsApp, clearly showing heaps of ₹500 notes.
- Staff Denials Deemed Unreliable: All domestic workers claimed ignorance. But the committee noted, “They are long-term employees from Verma’s home state (UP) and likely loyal to him.”
- Private Secretary Rajendra Singh Under Scrutiny: Initially denied knowledge, later admitted his voice was in the video shouting “Rahil!” near the room. CRPF guards testified seeing him and others cleaning the storeroom the next day.
The Smoking Gun: Videos and Charred Fragments
Despite official denials, videos circulated within the probe team show currency bundles stacked in heaps. Additionally, municipal sanitation workers reported finding burnt ₹500 note fragments on March 23 near the residence.
One worker told investigators on camera:
"We were cleaning the road when we saw burnt ₹500 pieces. We didn’t know where they came from."
What Next?
The Supreme Court committee has not publicly released its final verdict yet. But its observations suggest a serious breach of integrity at the highest judicial level, raising troubling questions:
- Was Justice Verma complicit, or is he a victim of an elaborate conspiracy?
- Why did official reports omit mention of the cash despite overwhelming eyewitness testimony?
- Will the judiciary hold its own accountable, or will this end as yet another unresolved scandal?
For now, Justice Verma continues his duties at the Allahabad High Court, even as the cloud of suspicion looms large.
Public Faith at Stake
India’s judiciary is often hailed as the last bastion of democracy. But incidents like these, where a sitting judge’s official residence becomes the epicenter of a multi-crore cash scandal, risk eroding that trust irreparably.
As the committee prepares its final report, one thing is clear: the fire at 30 Tughlaq Crescent has ignited far more than just furniture — it has set ablaze the conscience of a nation.
