THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, August 7: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court, who sought to challenge the findings of a three-judge in-house committee and the recommendation made by former Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna to initiate impeachment proceedings against him.
The bench, comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih, refused to entertain Justice Varma’s argument that he had not been granted a fair opportunity to respond before the committee finalized its report.
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The matter stems from a March 14 incident in which bundles of cash were reportedly discovered by firefighters responding to a blaze at Justice Varma’s Delhi residence. At the time, he was serving as a judge of the Delhi High Court and was not present at home when the fire broke out.
During the hearing on July 28, the apex court posed sharp questions to Justice Varma’s counsel, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal. The judges questioned why Justice Varma chose to appear before the in-house committee if he believed the process itself was unconstitutional, and why he was raising objections only after the inquiry had concluded.
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Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had confirmed that a motion seeking Justice Varma’s removal will be tabled in the Lok Sabha first, in accordance with parliamentary procedures. He emphasized that such a step should reflect a consensus decision.
