Justice Yashwant Varma Impeachment: 3 Member Probe Panel Formed By Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday (12 August) appointed a three-member panel to investigate allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma, after firefighters found a large amount of burned and partially burned cash at his residence during a blaze in March this year, reported Hindustan Times.

The panel includes Supreme Court judge Justice Aravind Kumar, Madras High Court Chief Justice Maninder Mohan, and senior advocate B V Acharaya.

The fire broke out at Justice Varma’s Delhi residence on 14 March, when he served on the Delhi High Court. The Supreme Court last week rejected his plea to invalidate an SC-appointed in-house panel report that found him guilty of misconduct.

On 21 March, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna sought a written reply from Justice Varma, who the next day denied all allegations. The CJI then formed a three-member committee to examine the matter. The SC later uploaded the inquiry report, including related photos and videos.

On 30 July, the apex court criticised Justice Varma, stating his conduct “did not inspire confidence” and affirmed that the CJI cannot act merely as a “post office” but must fulfil duties to the nation.

Hearing the plea titled “XXX v. The Union of India,” the Supreme Court questioned why Justice Varma participated in the in-house inquiry without challenging it earlier. The bench noted that he should have approached the apex court immediately after the panel’s findings, instead of waiting to contest them in the misconduct and cash discovery case.

Also Read: Supreme Court Rejects Allahabad High Court Justice Yashwant Varma’s Plea In Cash Row, Paving Way For Impeachment Proceedings