The Supreme Court of India on Thursday reserved its verdict on a petition filed by Justice Yashwant Varma, who has questioned the legality of a parliamentary committee set up to probe corruption allegations against him. The Bench also declined his request for more time to respond before the inquiry panel.
Background of the Case
The case traces back to March last year, when a large amount of cash was reportedly recovered from Justice Varma’s official residence in Delhi. At the time, he was serving as a judge of the Delhi High Court and was later transferred to the Allahabad High Court.
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Following the recovery, an in-house inquiry was ordered by then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna. A three-member panel submitted its report on May 4, holding Justice Varma guilty of misconduct. He was advised to resign or face impeachment. When he refused, the report was forwarded to the President and the Prime Minister.
Justice Varma earlier challenged the in-house inquiry report before the Supreme Court, but his plea was dismissed in August. Days later, Om Birla, the Lok Sabha Speaker, constituted a parliamentary inquiry committee.
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Arguments Before the Court
A Division Bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma heard the matter.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Justice Varma, argued that the committee was formed in violation of the Judges (Inquiry) Act. He pointed out that removal motions were submitted in both Houses of Parliament on the same day, but while the Lok Sabha admitted the motion, the Rajya Sabha rejected it.
“Where notices are given to both Houses on the same date, a committee cannot be constituted unless both motions are admitted,”
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Rohatgi submitted, insisting that the committee should have been formed jointly by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
Court’s Decision
After hearing all sides, the Bench reserved its judgment on the validity of the parliamentary inquiry panel. The Court, however, refused to extend the time granted to Justice Varma to file his response, leaving intact the January 12 deadline set by the committee.
