In a rare move under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has formed a three-member committee to examine allegations of misconduct against Justice Yashwant Varma, currently serving at the Allahabad High Court. The step follows an impeachment motion signed by 146 Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha seeking his removal.
The committee includes Justice Aravind Kumar of the Supreme Court, Justice M.M. Shrivastava, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, and Senior Advocate Vasudeva Acharya of the Karnataka High Court. As per Articles 124(4) and 217 of the Constitution, their task is to determine if the accusations amount to "proved misbehaviour."
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The controversy began on March 14, 2024, when large amounts of unaccounted cash - some burnt - were discovered at an outhouse of Justice Varma's official residence in Delhi during a firefighting operation. At that time, he was a judge of the Delhi High Court.
Following the discovery, then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna set up an in-house panel comprising Justice Sheel Nagu, Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, and Justice Anu Sivaraman. The panel's report, submitted in May 2024, held Justice Varma prima facie responsible.
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The Supreme Court later upheld the CJI's recommendation for removal, observing that the CJI's role "cannot be reduced to that of a post office" when addressing judicial misconduct.
After Justice Varma declined to resign, the report was sent to the President and the Prime Minister. If the present committee confirms the charges, its findings will be placed before Parliament. Removal from office requires approval by at least two-thirds of members present and voting in both Houses.
