A fire broke out at the residence of Delhi High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma on March 14 at around 11:30 PM in a storeroom attached to his house. However, the Delhi Police headquarters remained unaware of the incident for nearly eight hours, raising serious questions about judicial security protocols.

Fire Incident and Police Response Delay

The fire was first reported by Justice Varma’s assistant, but since the judge and his wife were not at home, the fire department was called in to handle the situation. The blaze was extinguished by midnight, and the judge’s personal assistant (PA) reportedly asked the five police personnel at the scene to leave and return in the morning.

Shockingly, an investigating officer visited the residence the next day but was asked to come later. This led to a delay in formally reporting the matter. The incident was only recorded in the Additional DCP’s morning diary on March 15, and senior officers were informed at 8 AM.

Delayed Communication with Higher Authorities

By the time the information reached Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora, nearly eight hours had passed since the fire was put out. The Commissioner subsequently alerted higher officials at the Centre and informed Delhi High Court Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya at around 4:50 PM.

This significant delay in communication has raised serious security concerns, especially considering that Justice Varma’s residence is protected by 40 CRPF personnel and three Delhi Police officers on a rotational basis.

Judicial Inquiry and Investigation Underway

A three-member judicial committee, set up by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, has initiated an inquiry to assess the security lapses. As part of the probe, the five police personnel who were present during the fire have handed over their mobile phones to the Delhi Police headquarters for examination.

The Delhi High Court Chief Justice’s office has also sought a report on Justice Varma’s security deployment to understand whether protocols were followed correctly.

Security Lapses Highlighted

This incident raises several pressing questions regarding the security of high-ranking judicial officers in India. The fact that a fire at a High Court judge’s home went unreported to senior police officials for hours reflects potential gaps in security and communication protocols.

Authorities are now under pressure to review and strengthen the security arrangements for judges to prevent similar lapses in the future.

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