The three-member committee constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to examine the grounds for the removal of Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma is expected to submit its report during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, a senior functionary said.
The panel was set up after a multi-party notice seeking Justice Varma’s removal was admitted in the Lok Sabha, initiating the impeachment process against the judge following the recovery of burnt currency notes from his official residence in New Delhi.
Speaker Birla had constituted the committee on August 12, 2025, after receiving a proposal signed by 146 Lok Sabha members across party lines, including BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
According to officials, the committee is currently examining the charges and is likely to present its findings in the next session of Parliament. “The committee is likely to submit its report in the next session,” a senior functionary said.
The panel was reconstituted on February 25 this year. While Supreme Court judge Justice Aravind Kumar and senior advocate of the Karnataka High Court B V Acharya continued as members, Bombay High Court Chief Justice Justice Shree Chandrashekhar was inducted in place of Madras High Court Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava.
The impeachment proceedings stem from an incident on March 14, 2025, when burnt wads of currency notes were allegedly recovered from Justice Varma’s official residence in New Delhi. Following the controversy, he was repatriated from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court.
The allegations triggered a series of inquiries within the judiciary. The then Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, initiated an in-house probe in March 2025 and constituted a three-member committee to investigate the matter.
The committee comprised Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice G S Sandhawalia and Karnataka High Court judge Justice Anu Sivaraman. It submitted its report to the Chief Justice of India on May 4, 2025.
Also read: SC rejects Justice Varma's plea against impeachment proceedings
After examining the findings, the Chief Justice of India reportedly asked Justice Varma to resign or face impeachment proceedings.
However, Justice Varma declined to step down. Following this, the Chief Justice forwarded the report along with the judge’s response to the President and the Prime Minister, recommending action for his removal.
Justice Varma also approached the Supreme Court challenging the recommendation for his removal. The apex court dismissed his plea.
Speaker Birla, while announcing the formation of the parliamentary committee, had emphasised that integrity is central to maintaining public trust in the judiciary.
“Unblemished character and financial and intellectual integrity are the foundation of the trust a common person has in the judiciary,” Birla had said.
He also noted that the allegations in the case pointed towards corruption and warranted action under Articles 124, 217 and 218 of the Constitution.
“The facts connected in the present case point towards corruption and are eligible for action as per Article 124, Article 217 and Article 218 of the Constitution of India. Parliament needs to speak in one voice on this issue and every citizen of this country should send a clear message about its commitment to zero tolerance to corruption,” Birla had said.
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