Lok Sabha constitutes 3-member panel to probe allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday announced that a three-member panel has been constituted to investigate allegations against High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma. The members of the committee include Justice Amit Kumar, Justice Maninder Mohan Srivastava and B B Acharya, the Lok Sabha Speaker announced.

Birla accepted the motion signed by 146 MPs for impeachment of Justice Yashwant Verma. The Supreme Court had, on August 7 this year, held that an in-house inquiry procedure which led to a recommendation to remove Justice Yashwant Varma, an Allahabad High Court judge in whose residential premises burnt currency was found after a fire, has legal sanction.

#WATCH | Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announces a 3-member panel to probe allegations against High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma.

He says, “The members of the Committee include Justice Arvind Kumar, Supreme Court Judge, Justice Maninder Mohan Srivastava, Chief Justice… pic.twitter.com/hKTt4PiZFt

— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2025

The apex court dismissed a plea filed by Justice Varma challenging the in-house inquiry panel’s report, and the former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna’s recommendation to initiate impeachment proceedings against him in the case of the fire incident that led to recovery of burnt unaccounted cash at his official residence in the national capital, when he was a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court.

On August 7, the Supreme Court declined the plea of Justice Yashwant Varma challenging the in-house three-judge inquiry committee’s report and former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna’s recommendation to initiate impeachment proceedings against him.

#WATCH | Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla accepts motion signed by 146 MPs for impeachment of Justice Yashwant Verma. Speaker Om Birla announces a 3-member panel to probe allegations against High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma.

(Source: Sansad TV) pic.twitter.com/bGksFq2Kkq

— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2025

A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih rejected Justice Yashwant Varma’s plea that stated that he was not given a fair opportunity to respond to the in-house inquiry committee before it presented its findings. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal appeared on behalf of Justice Varma.

This comes after cash was allegedly found by fire tenders when a fire broke out at his Delhi residence on March 14, while he was a judge of the Delhi High Court. The judge was not present at his house.

During a hearing on July 28, the Apex court had posed various questions to Justice Yashwant Varma while hearing his plea. The court asked Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing on behalf of Justice Varma, why his client did not challenge the three-judge in-house inquiry procedure constituted by the Chief Justice of India prior to his appearance before the panel.

The top court questioned why Justice Varma chose to appear before the in-house inquiry panel if he believed it was unconstitutional, and why he is challenging it only now, after the proceedings have concluded. (ANI)