EXCLUSIVE | To help inquiry against Justice Varma over cash row, 5 cops present during fire on March 14 hand in phones to police HQ

On Monday morning, the five police personnel, including the station house officer of Tughlaq Road police station, were called by Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora to his office. It is learnt that Arora asked them to cooperate with the inquiry and not to hesitate in divulging any information. The five personnel include the SHO, a sub-inspector, two head constables and a constable. One of the head constables is also the investigating officer (IO).

The Delhi Police is also learnt to have written to the Delhi Fire Service on Monday seeking details about the cause of the blaze, which took place in a storeroom attached to the judge’s residence.

The New Delhi district police is learnt to have prepared two reports on the incident and submitted them to the police chief’s office. One of the reports states that on the night of the fire, the judge’s personal assistant made a call and two fire tenders reached the spot before the police arrived, it is learnt. The report also states that officials from the NDMC and CPWD arrived at the judge’s residence, and it took around 20 minutes to douse the fire.

The Delhi Police has also submitted to the Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya’s office details of security personnel stationed at Justice Varma’s residence for the last six months and his call detail records for the same period. The Chief Justice’s office had written to the police chief seeking these details following the CJI’s directions.

On Monday, the Supreme Court formally recommended the transfer of Justice Varma to his parent High Court of Allahabad.

Justice Varma maintains no cash was shown to the staff at his residence. “When the fire broke out around midnight, the fire service was alerted by my daughter and my private secretary, whose calls would be duly recorded. During the exercise to douse the fire, all staff and the members of my household were asked to move away from the scene of the incident in view of safety concerns. After the fire was doused and when they went back to the scene of the incident, they saw no cash or currency on site,” he said in a response to the Delhi High Court Chief Justice.