In a significant move toward judicial accountability, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has reconstituted a three-member investigation committee to probe serious corruption allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad हाईकोर्ट.
The decision follows a major legal setback for Justice Varma, after the Supreme Court dismissed his petition to halt the impeachment proceedings initiated against him. The investigation centers on a shocking incident last year involving the discovery of “piles of burnt cash” at the judge’s official residence.
The Reconstituted Committee
The newly formed panel is tasked with investigating the grounds for Justice Varma’s removal as prayed for in an impeachment motion. The committee consists of:
- Justice Aravind Kumar: Judge of the Supreme Court of India.
- Justice Shri Chandrashekhar: Chief Justice of the Bombay हाईकोर्ट.
- BV Acharya: Senior Advocate and former Advocate General of Karnataka.
This reconstitution updates a previous panel formed in August, replacing the Chief Justice of the Madras हाईकोर्ट, Justice MM Shrivastava, with the Chief Justice of the Bombay हाईकोर्ट.
Background: The ‘Burnt Cash’ Scandal
The controversy erupted on March 14 last year during the Holi festival. Firefighters summoned to Justice Varma’s then-official bungalow in New Delhi discovered wads of currency notes that had been set on fire. The incident sent shockwaves through the legal fraternity and the public, leading to Justice Varma’s immediate repatriation from the Delhi हाईकोर्ट back to the Allahabad हाईकोर्ट.
While Justice Varma has dismissed the allegations as “preposterous” and denied any knowledge of the cash, a subsequent in-house panel established by the Supreme Court recommended his impeachment. This recommendation was formally forwarded to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi by then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna.
Parliamentary Action and Supreme Court Ruling
The Speaker’s intervention follows the endorsement of an impeachment motion by 146 Members of Parliament. Justice Varma had moved the Supreme Court to challenge the validity of this motion and the formation of the probe panel under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968. He argued that the committee’s formation violated his constitutional rights and that the Speaker had acted unilaterally.
However, a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma rejected these arguments. The court stated that legal provisions should not be used as a “weapon to scuttle parliamentary proceedings,” noting that the judge’s arguments lacked legal foundation and could have “serious consequences” if entertained.
The Secretariat’s notice clarifies that the committee is now legally cleared to proceed with its investigation into the allegations that have placed one of the country’s senior judicial officers under intense scrutiny.
