Lok Sabha Forms Panel to Probe Justice Varma in Cash-for-Post Case, Impeachment Moves Forward
The process to impeach Justice Yashwant Varma gained significant momentum on Tuesday as Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced the formation of a three-member panel to investigate the serious allegations against him. The move follows the recovery of a large amount of unexplained cash from the judge’s official residence earlier this year, a scandal that has rocked the judiciary.
Accepting a motion signed by 146 Members of Parliament, Speaker Birla constituted a high-level committee comprising Supreme Court Justice Aravind Kumar, Madras High Court Chief Justice Maninder Mohan, and senior advocate BV Acharaya. “The committee will submit its report as early as possible.
The proposal will remain pending till the receipt of the report,” Birla informed the House. With both the ruling coalition and the opposition in agreement on the matter, the impeachment proceedings are expected to proceed smoothly, a rare instance of political consensus on such a critical issue.
The controversy began on March 14 when stacks of cash, some reportedly over a foot and a half high, were discovered at Justice Varma’s Delhi residence after a fire broke out. The judge was not present at the time. The discovery led to his immediate transfer from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court by the Supreme Court, and all judicial work was withdrawn from him.
An internal inquiry panel set up by the Supreme Court examined 55 witnesses and found “sufficient substance” in the allegations, concluding that Justice Varma and his family had “active control” over the room where the cash was found. The panel ultimately recommended his removal from office.
The parliamentary committee will now conduct its own probe, with the power to summon evidence and cross-examine witnesses. If its report finds the judge guilty, the Lok Sabha will vote on a motion for his removal, which would then be sent to the Rajya Sabha for a similar vote, as per the procedure laid down in the Constitution.
