NEW DELHI: Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma has approached the Supreme Court challenging the findings of an in-house inquiry panel that held him guilty of misconduct in the cash discovery case.
In his petition, Justice Varma has sought the quashing of the panel’s May 8 recommendation, in which then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna advised Parliament to initiate impeachment proceedings against him.
The Centre is reportedly preparing to table a motion for Varma’s removal during the Monsoon session of Parliament, beginning July 21.
Justice Varma has alleged that the inquiry panel reversed the burden of proof by requiring him to disprove the allegations rather than the panel establishing his guilt. He further contended that the inquiry was guided by a “preconceived narrative” and prioritised speed over procedural fairness.
The petition claims that the panel reached adverse conclusions without granting him a full and fair opportunity to present his defense. The case is yet to be listed for hearing before a Supreme Court bench.
The inquiry panel, headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, had conducted a 10-day investigation into the incident. It examined 55 witnesses and visited the scene of the March 14 fire at Justice Varma’s official residence—then as a Delhi High Court judge. The panel concluded that Varma and his family had covert or direct control over a storeroom where a large quantity of half-burnt cash was discovered, constituting serious misconduct.
Acting on the panel’s report, former CJI Khanna had written to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recommending Justice Varma’s impeachment.
