Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla confirmed on Saturday that the report of the three-member committee investigating the grounds for the removal of Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma will be presented in the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament. The committee was established after a multi-party notice sought the judge's impeachment following the discovery of burnt currency notes at his residence.
Background of the Case
The controversy began on August 12, 2025, when a large quantity of burnt currency notes was found at Justice Varma's residence in Delhi, when he was a judge of the Delhi High Court. The incident triggered an in-house inquiry by the Supreme Court and subsequent calls for his removal by 146 Lok Sabha members, including BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. Speaker Birla admitted the removal notice on July 21, 2025, setting in motion the impeachment process under Article 124, 217, and 218 of the Constitution.
Committee Formation and Report
The three-member committee, reconstituted on February 25, 2026, included Supreme Court Justice Aravind Kumar, Senior Advocate B V Acharya of Karnataka High Court, and Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, replacing Madras High Court Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava. The report was prepared under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968. Justice Varma resigned before the report was tabled, but President Droupadi Murmu has yet to accept his resignation, leaving the possibility of impeachment open.
In-House Inquiry and Supreme Court Action
Former Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna had initiated an in-house probe in March 2025, forming a three-member committee comprising Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia, and Karnataka High Court Justice Anu Sivaraman. The committee submitted its report on May 4, 2025, finding the charges serious. The CJI then asked Justice Varma to resign or face impeachment. When he initially refused, the CJI forwarded the report to the President and Prime Minister. The Supreme Court later dismissed Justice Varma's plea against the recommendation.
Speaker's Statement on Zero Tolerance for Corruption
Speaker Birla emphasized the need for Parliament to speak in one voice on judicial integrity, stating, "The facts connected in the present case point towards corruption and are eligible for action as per Article 124, Article 217 and Article 218 of the Constitution of India. Parliament needs to speak in one voice on this issue and every citizen of this country should send a clear message about its commitment to zero tolerance to corruption." He added that after the report is tabled, members will decide the next steps. The Monsoon session is scheduled from July 20 to August 13, 2026.
