The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea filed by Justice Yashwant Varma challenging the findings of an in-house inquiry committee that had recommended his removal from the judiciary.
The inquiry was initiated after a large sum of unaccounted cash was discovered at his official residence in Delhi following a fire earlier this year. According to the three-member committee's report, which was delivered to the Chief Justice of India, Justice Varma's actions did not 'inspire confidence', and he was unable to offer a convincing justification for the money's existence.
Justice Yashwant Varma contended in his appeal to the Supreme Court that the internal investigation procedure was defective and unconstitutional since it circumvented the formal impeachment process outlined in the Constitution. Additionally, he argued that the panel had 'reversed the burden of proof', requiring him to refute the accusations made against him.
Also Read: Justice Varma seeks urgent hearing to quash panel report
However, his arguments were dismissed by a two-judge panel consisting of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih. They maintained that the impeachment process was still necessary and that the in-house procedure was a proven way to preserve the judiciary's integrity.
The Supreme Court observed that Justice Yashwant Varma had taken part in the investigation without first contesting its authority and that the Chief Justice of India (CJI) was not functioning as a 'mere post office' but rather had an obligation to communicate the results to the Prime Minister and President for possible action. The court's ruling opens the door for Justice Varma to be the target of a possible impeachment motion in Parliament.
Also Read: SC reserves order in Justice Varma case, says 'let Parl decide'
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