Justice Varma cash row: Lok Sabha begins impeachment process
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Justice Yashwant Varma.
New Delhi: In a rare and constitutionally significant development, the Lok Sabha on Tuesday formally initiated impeachment proceedings against Allahabad High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma. The impeachment motion was read out in the House, marking the start of the process under Articles 124(4), 217, and 218 of the Constitution for his potential removal from office.
Speaker Om Birla announced that he received the motion on July 31, supported by Ravi Shankar Prasad along with 146 members from the Lok Sabha and 63 from the Rajya Sabha. This follows explosive revelations earlier this year when bundles of charred currency were found at Justice Varma’s government-allotted residence in Delhi during a fire incident in March.
Although Justice Varma was not present during the fire, a subsequent three-member in-house judicial inquiry concluded that he exercised “secret or active control” over the currency stash. This finding led the Chief Justice of India to recommend his removal.
The Speaker also announced the formation of a statutory committee to investigate the charges. As per the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, and related rules, the panel includes a sitting Supreme Court judge, a Chief Justice of a High Court, and a distinguished jurist. The committee members are Justice Arvind Kumar of the Supreme Court, Justice Manindar Mohan Shrivastava, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, and Mr V.V. Acharya, senior judge of the Karnataka High Court. The committee will submit its report soon, while the motion remains pending.
Justice Varma challenged the inquiry’s findings in the Supreme Court, citing procedural unfairness and constitutional overreach. However, the apex court rejected his plea last week, affirming that the process was “transparent and constitutional,” and criticized his decision to participate in the inquiry before later disputing its legitimacy.
If the committee upholds the allegations, the impeachment motion will require a special majority in both Houses of Parliament, meaning a two-thirds vote of members present and voting, as well as a majority of the total membership, before it can be sent to the President for final approval.
This marks only the third occasion in independent India’s history that impeachment proceedings have been initiated against a sitting judge, highlighting the seriousness of the charges and the commitment to maintaining judicial integrity.
With IANS inputs
