Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has appointed advocate Karan Umesh Salvi as a new consultant to the high-level judicial committee investigating corruption allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma. The appointment adds legal expertise to the panel, which is examining the grounds for the potential impeachment of the sitting High Court judge.
The inquiry was set in motion after a motion supported by the Lok Sabha was adopted on August 12 to initiate impeachment proceedings against Justice Varma.
The three-member inquiry committee, formed under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, consists of sitting Supreme Court judge Justice Aravind Kumar, Madras High Court Chief Justice Madan Mohan Srivastav, and Senior Advocate BV Acharya.
Salvi’s appointment follows that of two other lawyers, Rohan Singh and Sameeksha Dua, who were brought on as consultants last month. As a consultant, Salvi will be responsible for assisting the three-member panel with legal research, helping to coordinate the inquiry’s proceedings, and aiding in the preparation of the committee’s final report.
This report, which will detail the committee’s findings, is to be submitted directly to the Lok Sabha. Based on the report’s conclusions, the house may recommend further action, including the potential removal of Justice Varma from his position.
The investigation stems from a fire at Justice Varma’s official residence in the national capital in March. At the time, Varma was a judge at the Delhi High Court. The fire incident led to the discovery of several burnt sacks of banknotes in the outhouse of the residence.
Following the discovery, Justice Varma was repatriated to the Allahabad High Court. An separate in-house probe, ordered by Supreme Court Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna, subsequently indicted him in the matter, leading to the current impeachment proceedings by Parliament.
