Justice Yashwant Varma Moves Top Court Against Panel Report
Justice Yashwant Varma has moved the Supreme Court, challenging the findings by an in-house inquiry panel that recommended initiation of his impeachment.
Justice Yashwant Varma has moved the Supreme Court, challenging the findings by an in-house inquiry panel that recommended initiation of his impeachment. He had been at the centre of a row since the discovery of charred currency notes at his official residence in New Delhi in March this year.
In his petition, Justice Varma mentioned that the principles of natural justice were not complied with, and that a fair chance to present his case was not granted to him. He also mentioned that then-Supreme Court Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna denied him a personal hearing.
Justice Varma argued that the enquiry committee concluded its proceedings without investigating key facts and had erroneously shifted the burden of proof onto him, requiring him to disprove facts that the committee had merely presumed to be true.
The petition comes just days ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, during which the Centre is likely to table an impeachment motion against the High Court judge.
It also came just days after the Supreme Court agreed to hear a fresh petition seeking directions to the Delhi Police and the Enforcement Directorate to register an FIR and conduct an effective and meaningful investigation into the recovery of a large amount of unaccounted cash from the residence of Justice Varma. The plea argued that the discovery of such currency constitutes a "culpable and cognisable offence", and that the police were duty-bound to register an FIR.
In March 2025, a large amount of burnt or partially burnt cash was recovered from the official residence of Justice Yashwant Varma in Delhi following a fire incident, triggering a major controversy and a heated debate over judicial corruption. At the time, he was serving as a judge of the Delhi High Court.
Justice Varma has vehemently denied any knowledge of the cash, claiming that neither he nor any of his family members had placed it there. He has consistently maintained that the entire episode is a "conspiracy" to frame and malign him.
Following the incident, the then Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, initiated an in-house enquiry through a three-member committee of judges. The committee later submitted its report, which reportedly concluded that Justice Varma was liable for misconduct. It found “strong inferential evidence” of his “covert or active control” over the storeroom where the cash was discovered and noted that he failed to provide a credible explanation for its source.
Based on the committee’s findings, the Chief Justice reportedly recommended initiating impeachment proceedings against Justice Varma. He was advised to resign or opt for voluntary retirement, but he refused, stating that doing so would amount to accepting a “fundamentally unjust” process.
Justice Varma was initially transferred from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court, his parent court, and was stripped of all judicial work.
What's Your Reaction?
