Probe panel report on Justice Varma likely in Monsoon session
The three-member committee set up by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to probe the grounds on which the removal of High Court Judge, Justice Yashwant Varma, was sought following the recovery of burnt currency notes from his residence, is expected to submit its report in the Monsoon session.
On August 12, 2025, the Speaker constituted the three-member committee to probe charges against Justice Yashwant Varma after admitting a multi-party notice for his removal, setting in motion the process of impeachment of the Allahabad High Court judge.
The committee was reconstituted on February 25. While two members — Justice Aravind Kumar of the Supreme Court and Senior Advocate, Karnataka High Court, BV Acharya continued to be members of the panel — a new member, Justice Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, has been appointed in place of Madras High Court Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava.
“The committee is likely to submit its report in the next session,” a senior functionary said.
Birla set up the committee after he received a proposal from 146 Lok Sabha members, including BJP member Ravi Shankar Prasad and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, seeking the removal of Justice Varma on July 21, 2025.
Justice Varma was repatriated from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court after burnt wads of currency notes were found at his official residence in New Delhi on March 14, 2025.
After referring to relevant laws and judgments of the Supreme Court, the Delhi High Court chief justice found that the charges against Justice Varma were of a serious nature and followed it up with the “in-House procedure”.
Birla had said unblemished character and financial and intellectual integrity were the foundation of the trust a common person has in the judiciary.
“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,” Birla had said.
The Lok Sabha Speaker said he has accepted the proposal and constituted a three-member committee for the removal of Justice Varma from his post in accordance with Section 3(2) of the Judges (Inquiry) Act 1968.
Earlier, then CJI Sanjiv Khanna had initiated an in-house probe into the allegations and set up a three-member committee in March 2025 to conduct the inquiry.
The committee, comprising Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia and Karnataka HC Justice Anu Sivaraman, submitted its report on May 4.
After receiving the report, the CJI asked Justice Varma to resign or face impeachment proceedings. However, since Justice Varma declined to quit, CJI Khanna forwarded the report and the judge’s response on it to the president and the PM for his removal.
