Justice Yashwant Varma

New Delhi, July 3: The Centre is preparing to initiate the formal process to remove Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court, following a controversial incident involving the discovery of burnt sacks of cash at his official residence earlier this year. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said that several opposition parties have extended their in-principle support, and the government will soon begin collecting signatures from Members of Parliament (MPs) to move the motion.

By Naveed Uddi Khan Uzair

The removal motion stems from a fire incident in March at Justice Varma’s Delhi residence—when he was serving at the Delhi High Court—which led to the discovery of several sacks of burnt banknotes in an outhouse. Although Justice Varma denied knowledge of the cash, a Supreme Court-appointed panel investigated the matter, reportedly interviewed multiple witnesses, and recorded the judge’s statement.

According to Rijiju, the Centre has yet to decide whether the motion will be introduced in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha. A minimum of 100 MP signatures are needed in the Lok Sabha, while 50 are required in the Rajya Sabha to initiate the process under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968. Once admitted, a three-member inquiry committee—comprising the Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court judge, a Chief Justice from one of the High Courts, and a distinguished jurist—will be constituted to investigate the charges.

Rijiju stated, “This matter involves corruption at the highest levels of the judiciary. We want all political parties on board before taking this significant step.”

The incident has stirred serious concerns over judicial accountability. Reports indicate that former Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna had advised Justice Varma to resign voluntarily. However, the judge refused to step down, prompting the judiciary to repatriate him to the Allahabad High Court. Since his return, Justice Varma has not been assigned any judicial responsibilities.

Although the panel did not formally indict him, it recommended further action to be determined by Parliament, as only the legislature has the authority to remove a sitting High Court or Supreme Court judge.

The Monsoon Session of Parliament is scheduled to run from July 21 to August 21, during which the signature campaign and subsequent tabling of the motion could take place.

This development marks a rare and serious instance of disciplinary proceedings being considered against a sitting judge and may set a precedent for how allegations of corruption within the judiciary are handled in the future.