A three-member committee will probe the incident in which a pile of burnt cash was recovered from the residence of former Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Tuesday.
The panel will constitute Supreme Court judge Justice Aravind Kumar, Madras High Court Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, and Senior Counsel from Karnataka, BV Acharaha.
Birla said that he has also accepted an impeachment motion against Justice Varma, which has been signed by 146 MPs.
The Speaker’s adoption of the motion to impeach Justice Varma comes after MPs from the treasury as well as the Opposition benches submitted a notice to him in this regard during the ongoing Monsoon Session.
Birla said that the Supreme Court’s committee recommended initiating proceedings for his removal from office.
“A motion for impeachment has been submitted against Yashwant Verma. Cash was recovered when a fire broke out at his residence. We have studied the provisions of the Judges Inquiry Act. We have been introduced to the details about him. The Chief Justice of Delhi found this complaint to be serious. After due consideration, the Chief Justice of India found that an investigation is necessary. The committee’s report recommends the removal of the judge," the Speaker said.
“This matter is pending, and an investigation will be conducted in this case. The proposal to remove Justice Yashwant Varma is being presented. I have approved this committee. The process of removing a judge should be initiated in accordance with the rules laid down by the Constitution," he added.
The panel will have the power to probe witnesses and seek evidence. The committee will submit its report to Om Birla, who will then present it before the Lok Sabha.
In case the judge is found guilty, a motion will be brought to impeach him, and a similar process will take place in the Upper House of the Parliament – Rajya Sabha. Upon successful voting, the motion will be sent to the President for her nod.
A major controversy erupted on March 15 after firefighters responding to a blaze at Justice Varma’s Delhi bungalow found piles of cash burned in the fire.
Justice Varma denied any connection to the money and called the accusations “preposterous." However, the Supreme Court formed an internal panel, which later recommended removing him from office.
