The curious case of a High Court judge: Show me the money!

Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar

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The curious case of a High Court judge: Show me the money!

The context: On March 14, a fire broke out at the residence of High Court judge Yashwant Varma. The honourable judge and his family were traveling at the time. According to media reports published on March 21, firefighters found sackfuls of cash. The Supreme Court said the Delhi High Court chief justice will conduct an initial inquiry and will report to the Chief Justice. If there is prima facie evidence, then another committee—composed of three HC judges—will launch a full-blown investigation. None of this was expected to be public.

What happened now: In an unprecedented move, the Supreme Court has uploaded a redacted version of the preliminary inquiry report—and a response from Justice Varma. There are receipts—including photos and a video—which shows partly burnt wads of cash:

The money was supposedly discovered at a locked outhouse. The footage was submitted by the police.

What Varma says: He nor his family had any clue what was in that outhouse—which was not locked and accessible to all. He was not shown any evidence of burnt money when he inspected the premises. It’s all a giant conspiracy to frame him:

Justice Varma has noted in his reply that his cash withdrawals were documented, and the allegations were baseless and had already scarred his reputation. He said a conspiracy was afoot to malign him. The outhouse storeroom, in where the fire occurred, was not a part of his main residence and was utilised generally by all and sundry to store articles.

Plot with many holes: Varma may protest too much, but The Telegraph highlights a series of intriguing questions:

Varma asks why no one has been able to produce the seized cash.
He says the family and staff called the fire station—but the HC report only mentions a call to the police station (an odd choice if your house is burning).
Senior fire officials denied finding any cash to a TV channel—and later backtracked.
Did the police arrive first and tape the footage? If so, where is the panchnama —“a document that records the findings at a crime scene in the presence of at least two independent witnesses.”

The Hindu has more on the action in the courts—while The Telegraph breaks down the inconsistencies.

Turkey teeters on the edge of autocracy

The context: The all-powerful Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been ruling Turkey for decades—as PM from 2003 to 2014 and now as President since 2014. His 22-year reign has marked a precipitous slide into autocracy and increasing religious intolerance. Right before the 2023 election, it looked like his luck had run out. That he would finally be kicked out due to his dreadful handling of the devastating earthquake that killed over 50,000 people in southern Turkey that February. Sadly, he instead swept back into office with 52.2% of the vote—beating Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu who led a six-party secular coalition.

Point to note: Erdoğan—and his party AKP—relies on the support of the country’s conservative, Islamist heartland—while large cities like Ankara and Istanbul have flipped in favour of the secular opposition. Opposition party leader Ekrem İmamoğlu won Istanbul’s mayoral elections in 2019 and 2024—all through Erdoğan’s rule.

What happened now: On March 19, İmamoğlu was arrested with 100 other people on allegations of corruption and aiding terrorism—i.e. supporting the Kurdish militant group PKK. Then on March 23, İmamoğlu was jailed and suspended—while he awaits trial.

Why this is a big deal: The next national elections are slated for 2028, And İmamoğlu was widely expected to be anointed as the new leader of the leading opposition party—Republican People’s Party (CHP)—this week. Most importantly this: “A day before he was detained the authorities revoked his university diploma, rendering him ineligible to run for president under Turkish law, since the office is open only to graduates.” In other words, everything—from the court case to the revoked diploma—is aimed at disqualifying İmamoğlu—three years before the next election!!

So what’s with this level of paranoia?

Mr Imamoglu’s long survival is precisely what has made him so dangerous to Turkey’s leader, and so appealing to voters. For months he has enjoyed a comfortable lead over Mr Erdoğan in the polls. As a presidential contender he has many strengths. He belongs to a secular party, but appeals to the pious. He runs the biggest city in Europe but hails from Turkey’s heartland. He has ample charisma. “Erdoğan and his people must have concluded he would be an unstoppable force,” says Soner Cagaptay of the Washington Institute, an American think-tank.

Cue the protests: Hundreds of thousands of citizens have staged protests across the country for the past five days—facing water cannons, tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets, which you can see in the video below. More than 320 people have been arrested so far.

Our fave protest sign:

The big picture: Turkey under Erdoğan has long been poised on the edge of outright dictatorship. Back in 2016, he used a foiled coup to greatly expand his powers as president—later purging 150,000 public servants and arresting 50,000—including journalists, lawyers, academics and Kurdish leaders. This time, Turkey may just tip over that edge:

Turkey is nearing a point of no return. Only last week, its government was still what political scientists call a competitive authoritarian regime: although President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wields unchecked executive powers and de facto control over the courts and most of the media, Turkey’s elections had remained mostly free.. What remains is close to naked autocracy.

Please note: X suspended a number of accounts associated with the protests—because Erdoğan is Trump’s best bud. And there hasn’t been a peep of protest from European leaders—who are oh-so worked up over Vladimir Putin’s tyranny. The EU needs Turkish muscle if it's going to face off against Russia—now and in the long run. So Erdoğan’s timing may indeed be perfect.

Reading list: Associated Press report on the arrest of İmamoğlu. Al Jazeera offers a quick explainer on the protests. The Economist (login required) is best on the big picture. For the history of Turkish politics and Erdoğan’s reign, check out our Big Story on the 2023 election.

Wildlife alert: A new kind of poaching mafia

An Indian Express investigation has uncovered a poaching network that has killed at least 100 tigers since 2022. These are not impoverished locals trying to survive—but an organised coalition of groups from tribal communities—with a sophisticated modus operandi:

“Unlike their fathers who depended solely on middlemen, they are internet savvy and active on social media”. “Though barely educated, they have no problem running bank accounts, tracking online payments, and booking consignments and flight tickets,” the sources said.

“...Instead of carrying skin and bones to the northeast, they often booked consignments with a transporter with a storage facility. Then they took trains or flights to reach Guwahati, collected the goods, drove to Shillong and delivered,” an investigator said.

Data point to note: India has 58 tiger reserves—of which only eight house at least 100 tigers or more. Even though the tiger population in India has doubled in the last 10 years, there are worrying reports of missing tigers. Example: Ranthambore—where 20 tigers have just vanished into thin air. For more, we highly recommend checking out Indian Express—which has the exclusive investigation.

In other tragic news: South African Cheetah expert Vincent Van Der Merwe was found dead in his apartment during a visit to Saudi Arabia. CCTV footage revealed that he sustained an injury to his head when he fell to the floor. There is some speculation that he died by suicide. Reminder: Van Der Merwe was in charge of India’s Cheetah project—and was later sidelined. He was also among the four experts who wrote to the Supreme Court in 2023 raising their concerns about the project. Our 2023 Big Story looked at the string of cheetah deaths at Kuno. (Business Standard)

what caught our eye

business & tech

Meta may ditch personalized ads for UK Facebook users, eyeing a subscription model after settling a privacy case with campaigner Tanya O’Carroll.
This time for some unsurprising news from Mark, OpenAI and Meta are in talks with Reliance to expand AI services in India, with Jio eyeing a deal to distribute ChatGPT, per The Information.
Cars are set to get pricier from April in India, with Maruti Suzuki hiking prices by up to 4% and Hyundai by 3%, citing rising operational costs.
Elon Musk is to make billions of dollars in various federal contracts—even as he slashes government spending. Makes Gautam-bhai look bad :)
This time, in not so good news for Elon, Tesla trade-ins surged in March, doubling from last year, as the Elon Musk backlash drives owners to ditch their EVs.
Amazon India scrapped commission fees on over 1.2 crore products under Rs 300, aiming to boost small businesses and seller growth.

sports & entertainment

In a grimly predictable tragedy, a Pakistani migrant worker has died while building Saudi Arabia’s Aramco Stadium for the 2034 World Cup—the first-known death linked to the tournament, just months after FIFA named the Gulf kingdom as host.
Irfan Pathan was dropped from the IPL 2025 commentary panel after allegedly using the platform to take potshots at players, leaving broadcasters unimpressed.
The Conversation has a good read on Kirsty Coventry’s historic rise as the first woman, first African, and youngest-ever president of the IOC—and what it means for global sports.
Rejoice! Disney and Pixar are bringing ‘Coco 2’ to life, set for a 2029 release, as announced by CEO Bob Iger at the company’s annual shareholder meeting.
Apple TV+ renews ‘Severance’ for a third season—and creator Dan Erickson isn’t the only one pumped to dive back into Lumon’s eerie corridors.
Audiences want more comedies and thrillers in theaters, but a new survey says the real villain keeping them away is the lack of must-watch films.
Now for some grapevine: Tiger Woods has confirmed he’s dating Vanessa Trump, Donald Trump Jr.’s ex-wife.

health & environment

Trump’s regulatory freeze is roiling America’s $320 billion fishing industry, delaying fleets, fueling overfishing, and throwing the season into chaos.
Paleontologists in Australia have discovered a new fish species, Ferruaspis brocksi, so perfectly preserved in the arid grasslands of the island continent that its last meal is still visible in its stomach—15 million years later.

meanwhile, in the world

Israel killed senior Hamas leader Salah al-Bardawil in a predawn strike on Gaza, as air raids intensified, leaving at least 634 Palestinians dead since it shattered the ceasefire on Tuesday. The death toll in Gaza has now crossed 50,000.
The Trump White House made nice with yet another terrorist leader—Sirajuddin Haqqani—and lifted the $10 million bounty on his head. Bulwark has more on Haqqani's special friendship with Pakistan.
The Trump administration will revoke the legal status of over 500,000 Latin American and Haitian migrants admitted under Biden’s sponsorship program, urging them to self-deport or face arrest.
Columbia University caved to Trump’s demands, banning masks at protests and enforcing ID checks, as it scrambles to regain $400 million in frozen federal funding.
CNN has a good read on Germany unlocking billions to turbocharge its military, marking a seismic shift for Europe.
Russia and Ukraine are holding US-mediated ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday — but they’ll be in separate rooms.
Women seeking asylum in Britain have reported facing sexual abuse and violence in mixed-sex hotels, including claims against fellow asylum seekers and staff.
US student visa denials hit a decade-high last fiscal year, with 41% of F-1 applications rejected—nearly double the 2014 rate, The Indian Express reports.

meanwhile, in India

Academics are raising alarms over the government’s decision to let the UGC, instead of an independent body, handle foreign degree recognition, calling it a break from global norms.
Facing looming US tariffs, India is considering easing non-trade barriers and relaxing Chinese FDI rules to counter its widening trade deficit with Beijing.
CBI has filed a closure report in the Sushant Singh Rajput case, ruling out foul play and finding no evidence of criminal involvement in his death.
Chhattisgarh has rolled out a new policy offering land, financial aid, and higher compensation to victims of Naxal violence, while also aiming to reintegrate surrendered Maoists into society.
Fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, wanted in India for a Rs 13,500-crore (Rs 135 billion) bank fraud, is reportedly hiding in Antwerp, Belgium, with his wife Preeti after obtaining a residency card.

Six things to see

One: New Canadian PM Mark Carney and comedian Mike Myers made this video taking aim at Donald’s annexation plans. A nice touch: Myers’ ‘Never 51’ jersey. (Newsweek)

Two: Another day, another Kunal Kamra show that pisses off a pol. Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena has demanded his arrest for a stand-up bit referring to their leader as a ‘gaddar’. Just to make sure he got the message, Shiv Sena workers ransacked the Mumbai comedy club—inside a hotel—where his show was filmed. Btw: it’s part of a funny, satirical song—as you can see below. (The Hindu)

Three: Teen Vogue did a cover story featuring Elon Musk’s estranged kid Vivian Jenna Wilson—who earned her father’s wrath by being a trans woman. Check out one of her gorgeous cover images below—and the profile here.

Four: The Pope is baaack! He made a triumphant public appearance on a hospital balcony—after surviving a life-threatening bout of pneumonia. The 88-year-old was wheeled out in front of cheering supporters chanting “Viva il papa!” Though still on medication and physical therapy, doctors say he’s stable but will need time to fully recover. For now, he’s heading back to the Vatican for two months of rest. (Associated Press via The Hindu)

Five: The legendary bonobo Kanzi has died at the age of 44. He used over 300 symbols to communicate, understood the meaning of 3,000 spoken English words, and even played video games. In memoriam, we offer you this video of Kanzi learning how to speak. (Smithsonian Magazine)

Six: Researchers in New Zealand witnessed a strange and unprecedented instance of a Maori octopus taking a joy ride on top of a shortfin mako shark! They’ve nicknamed it “sharktopus” lol! (New York Times)