Allahabad High Court Justice Yashwant Varma has formally informed a parliamentary committee that he was not present at his official residence in Delhi when a fire broke out on March 14, 2025, and has denied the recovery of any cash from the premises. This submission, made in a written reply to the committee on January 12, 2026, is part of his defense against an impeachment motion initiated in Parliament. Justice Varma asserted he had no role in the incident and that he was not the first responder, placing the responsibility for securing the scene with the authorities who arrived initially. The controversy began after firefighters allegedly discovered significant amounts of unaccounted and burnt cash during the operation to douse the fire at his residence. These allegations led to an in-house inquiry by a Supreme Court-appointed committee, which, in its May 4, 2025 report, found Justice Varma guilty of misconduct, concluding that the cash was under his or his family's control. Following this, the then Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, recommended Justice Varma's removal to the President and Prime Minister. Subsequently, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla admitted a multi-party impeachment motion on August 12, 2025, and constituted a three-member inquiry committee to probe the charges. Justice Varma has challenged the legality of this parliamentary committee in the Supreme Court, arguing it is invalid as a similar motion in the Rajya Sabha was reportedly rejected, necessitating a joint committee. The Supreme Court reserved its verdict on this procedural challenge on January 8, 2026, and denied his request for an extension to submit his reply to the parliamentary panel. Justice Varma was transferred from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court and stripped of judicial duties as the investigations proceeded.