Inquiry Committee Submits Report To Lok Sabha Speaker In Justice Yashwant Varma Matter

The committee constituted by the Lok Sabha Speaker to inquire into allegations against former High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma has submitted its report to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.The report was formally handed over on May 18, 2026, at Parliament House by Justice Aravind Kumar, judge of the Supreme Court and presiding officer of the Judges Inquiry Committee. The other members of the committee, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, and senior advocate B.V. Acharya, also accompanied him during the submission.Also present on the occasion were the committee's secretary Shri Ganapati Bhat, and consultant advocates Karan Umesh Salvi and Sameeksha Dua.It may be recalled that Justice Varma resigned in April this year, pending the inquiry.The inquiry committee was constituted under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, following an impeachment motion signed by 146 Lok Sabha members seeking Justice Varma's removal.The proceedings stem from the controversial discovery of a large quantity of unaccounted cash at an outhouse attached to Justice Varma's official residence in Delhi during a fire-fighting operation on March 14, 2025, when he was serving as a judge of the Delhi High Court. The incident triggered widespread public controversy and calls for accountability.In the immediate aftermath, the then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna constituted an in-house three-member inquiry committee comprising Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court; Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court; and Justice Anu Sivaraman of the Karnataka High Court.Pending the inquiry, Justice Varma was repatriated to the Allahabad High Court, and judicial work was withdrawn from him.The in-house committee subsequently submitted its report to the then Chief Justice, reportedly finding prima facie material indicating Justice Varma's culpability. After Justice Varma declined the Chief Justice's advice to resign, the report was forwarded to the President and the Prime Minister for further action.He had mounted multiple legal challenges during the course of the proceedings. The Supreme Court dismissed his petition challenging the in-house inquiry and the recommendation for his removal. A subsequent challenge to the Lok Sabha Speaker's decision constituting the statutory inquiry committee was also rejected earlier this year.The Supreme Court, in a move towards public transparency, uploaded the reports and documents related to the fire incident, including the photos and videos showing burning cash.

Inquiry Committee Submits Report To Lok Sabha Speaker In Justice Yashwant Varma Matter

Gursimran Kaur Bakshi

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Inquiry Committee Submits Report To Lok Sabha Speaker In Justice Yashwant Varma Matter

Gursimran Kaur Bakshi

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