Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on 12 August 2025 announced the constitution of a three-member committee to investigate corruption allegations against Allahabad High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma, following the recovery of burnt cash from his official residence in Delhi earlier this year.
Birla made the announcement after accepting a resolution signed by 146 MPs from both the ruling and Opposition benches seeking Justice Varma’s removal. The Speaker said the committee will submit its report “as soon as possible.”
The panel comprises Justice Aravind Kumar, Judge of the Supreme Court; Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court; and B V Acharya, Senior Advocate at the Karnataka High Court.
On 15 March 2025, burnt currency notes were recovered from the debris after a fire broke out at Justice Varma’s official residence at 30, Tughlaq Crescent in New Delhi. At the time, the judge was serving with the Delhi High Court.
Announcing the decision when the House reassembled at noon, Birla said, “I have received notice of the following resolution dated 21st July, 2025 signed by a total of 146 members of the ruling and opposition parties including Ravi Shankar Prasad and the Leader of the Opposition in the House, proposing to present a representation to the President of India for removal of Justice Yashwant Varma, a sitting Judge of the Allahabad High Court, from the office of Judge of the High Court under Section 3 of the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 read with Article 124(4) of the Constitution of India read with Article 217 and Article 218.”
Reading from the resolution, Birla stated, “This House resolves that a petition be presented to the President for the removal of Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court from his office for the following misconduct.”
The resolution referred to a Supreme Court statement on the recovery of unexplained cash from the judge’s residence, as well as a report submitted by a committee appointed by the then Chief Justice of India to President Droupadi Murmu.
Quoting the resolution, Birla said, “Having independently examined the facts mentioned above and the facts available in the public domain, the circumstances surrounding the recovery and removal of burnt cash from the official premises occupied and under the control of Justice Yashwant Varma, we also independently find that the removal process under Article 124 read with Article 217 and Article 218 of the Constitution of India must be initiated in accordance with the Judges [Inquiry] Act, 1968 and the Rules made thereunder.”
He added, “Impeccable character and financial/intellectual integrity are the foundation of the trust placed by a common man in the judiciary. And that the facts of the present case which point to corruption are violative of the tenets of Article 124, Articles 217 and 218 of the Constitution of India and deserve due process and scrutiny. The Parliament must speak with one voice on the subject and send a clear message to every citizen of the country about its resolve for (zero-tolerance) towards corruption in public life.”
Birla concluded, “Finding this proposal to be in accordance with the rules, I have approved it. In accordance with sub-section 2 of section 3 of the Judges (Judges) Act, 1968, I have constituted a committee consisting of the following 3 members to examine the grounds of request for removal of Justice Yashwant Varma from the post.”
(With inputs from Indian Express)
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