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

The Supreme Court on Thursday (7 August) dismissed Justice Yashwant Varma’s plea challenging the in-house committee inquiry that recommended his impeachment after authorities discovered burnt piles of cash at his Delhi home in March.

The court ruled that the petition was “not worth entertaining” and criticised Varma’s conduct as “not confidence-inspiring,” reported NDTV.

A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and A G Masih upheld the validity of the committee, which was constituted by then-Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna.

The ruling clears the path for Parliament to begin impeachment proceedings under Articles 124, 217, and 218 of the Constitution.

Last month, over 145 MPs from both opposition and ruling parties submitted a notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, demanding an investigation into Justice Varma’s conduct.

Justice Varma had filed a writ petition under the name 'XXX', presenting five reasons against his removal. He challenged the committee's authority and argued it denied him a fair hearing.

He claimed the judiciary was overstepping, stating the recommendation “usurps parliamentary authority... it empowers the judiciary to recommend removal of Judges from constitutionally-held office.”

The Supreme Court rejected all arguments.

During the 28 July hearing, the bench questioned why Varma didn’t challenge the committee’s legality before participating in its proceedings.

Justice Datta asked, “Why did you appear? Did you think they were going to pass a favourable decision? You’re a constitutional authority. You can’t say that you didn’t know. You should have immediately come to this court.”

Also Read: 'Why Justice Varma Participated In In-House Inquiry': Supreme Court Hears Plea Against Indictment Over Cash Recovery