Lok Sabha Speaker forms high-level panel to probe discovery of unexplained cash at official residence of Justice Varma

The Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has formally accepted a motion seeking the removal of Allahabad High Court Judge Yashwant Varma.The LS speaker also announced the formation of a statutory three-member panel to probe allegations arising from the discovery of unexplained cash at his official residence.

The motion, backed by 146 Members of Parliament, was admitted in the House, prompting the Speaker to initiate the next step under the Judges (Inquiry) Act. Accordingly, the inquiry committee will be chaired by Supreme Court Justice Aravind Kumar, alongside Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava of the Madras High Court and noted jurist B.V. Acharya from the Karnataka High Court bar.

This move follows a dramatic sequence of events that began with a fire at Justice Varma’s residence in March, during which large quantities of burnt and partially burnt currency were discovered by firefighters.

An in-house judicial probe convened by then-Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna had already concluded that the judge’s conduct warranted serious scrutiny. The report was forwarded to the Prime Minister and President, urging further action.

Justice Varma contested the findings, and the Supreme Court recently dismissed his plea, voicing concerns over his conduct and saying it “does not inspire confidence.

Speaker Birla emphasized that, given the gravity of the charges, the removal process must now move forward. The newly constituted panel is expected to submit its findings expeditiously. Until that report is tabled, the impeachment motion remains pending in Parliament.