Govt may bring impeachment motion against Justice Varma in cash row

The three-judge panel found merit in allegations that large amounts of cash were discovered at Justice Varma's official residence during a fire incident on March 14

Don't want to miss the best from Business Standard?

The government may bring an impeachment motion during the upcoming monsoon session of the Parliament targeting former Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma, according to a report by the Indian Express.

 

The three-judge panel, which was formed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) on March 22, found merit in allegations that large amounts of cash were discovered at Justice Varma’s official residence during a fire incident on March 14.

 

The panel included Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab & Haryana High Court; Justice G S Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court; and Justice Anu Sivaraman, a judge of the Karnataka High Court. The panel gathered testimony from numerous witnesses during the inquiry.

 

Impeachment motion 

On May 9, CJI Sanjiv Khanna submitted an in-house report concerning the discovery of unexplained cash at the residence of Justice Varma during his tenure at the Delhi High Court to the President and Prime Minister. The CJI had recommended bringing an impeachment motion against Justice Varma.

 

The report stemmed from an inquiry led by a three-member panel. Justice Varma is currently serving at the Allahabad High Court. However, he has not been given any judicial duties since the transfer. 

 

Fire incident 

On March 14, the fire incident occurred at Justice Varma’s official residence in Delhi at around 11:30 pm, when he was not present. His family promptly contacted the fire department and local authorities.

 

Upon entering the premises, emergency personnel reportedly came across a substantial quantity of cash stored in a room. Although the precise amount of money has not been revealed, media reports claimed that some of the cash was ablaze during the fire.

 

Justice Varma, born on January 6, 1969, is originally from Allahabad. According to his official judicial profile, he earned a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from Hansraj College, Delhi University, and subsequently completed his LLB from Rewa University in Madhya Pradesh.

 

The Supreme Court Collegium had directed the relocation of Justice Yashwant Varma back to his parent court in Allahabad. The decision was taken on March 20, when the five-member Collegium, headed by CJI Sanjiv Khanna, examined reports and video evidence that allegedly captured burning currency inside Justice Varma’s New Delhi home.

 

After this decision, representatives from six high court bar associations met with CJI Khanna, requesting the reversal of the recommendation to transfer Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma to the Allahabad High Court.

 

Following the meeting, Anil Tiwari, president of the Allahabad High Court Bar Association (AHCBA), stated that the CJI had promised to review their concerns.