LS Speaker Om Birla reconstitutes panel to probe grounds for removal of Justice Yashwant Varma

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has reconstituted the three-member inquiry committee tasked with examining the grounds for the removal of Justice Yashwant Varma. The reconstituted panel will come into effect from March 6, 2026, according to an official Lok Sabha notification.

The committee was originally constituted in March last year following demands for Justice Varma’s removal after bundles of burnt cash were allegedly discovered at his residence, triggering widespread concern and calls for an inquiry. As per the notification, the reconstituted committee comprises Justice Arvind Kumar, Judge, Supreme Court of India, Justice Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice, Bombay High Court, B V Acharya, Senior Advocate, Karnataka High Court

Justice Arvind Kumar and B V Acharya were members of the previous panel, while Justice Chandrashekhar has been inducted as a new member. He replaces Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. The panel will continue examining the allegations and circumstances that led to demands for Justice Varma’s removal. The committee is expected to review evidence and submit its findings as part of the prescribed parliamentary process.

The case pertains to the recovery of unaccounted and partially burnt cash from the official residence of Justice Varma, then a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court. Following the internal inquiry, the former CJI, Sanjiv Khanna, forwarded a recommendation to the President and the Prime Minister of India to initiate the procedure for his removal. Subsequently, on July 21, 2025, a motion was moved in both Houses of Parliament for Justice Varma’s removal.

On August 12, 2025, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha formed a three-member Inquiry Committee to investigate the charges against Justice Varma. The Lok Sabha Speaker’s decision came after he received a notice of the motion, signed by 146 Members of Parliament, seeking Justice Yashwant Varma’s removal. (ANI)