Justice Yashwant Varma Faces Impeachment Over Cash Scandal

Centre Initiates Removal Process as MPs Across Party Lines Sign Motion; First Case of High Court Judge Facing Impeachment in Independent India.

Justice Yashwant Varma, a former Delhi High Court judge, is now at the center of an unprecedented impeachment process after piles of burnt ₹500 currency notes were found at his official residence. The impeachment motion, supported by 145 Members of Parliament (MPs) from both ruling and opposition parties, marks the first time a sitting High Court judge may be removed through this constitutional mechanism.

🔹 Cross-Party Support for Impeachment Motion

The memorandum to initiate impeachment was submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday.
Signatories include:
- BJP’s Anurag Thakur
- Congress’ Rahul Gandhi
- NCP’s Supriya Sule
- MPs from CPI(M), TDP, JD(U), and JD(S)

The rare unity across party lines underscores the gravity of the allegations and the urgency for judicial accountability.

🔹 Constitutional Basis of Impeachment

The removal of a High Court judge is governed by Articles 124, 217, and 218 of the Indian Constitution, alongside the Judges Inquiry Act, 1968.

✔️ Key Requirements:

Motion must be signed by 100 Lok Sabha MPs or 50 Rajya Sabha MPs
Must be admitted by the Speaker or Chairman, who may set up an inquiry committee
Requires Presidential assent post parliamentary approval

While the term “impeachment” does not explicitly appear in the Constitution for judges, the procedure mirrors that used for removing other constitutional officers.

🔹 Justice Varma’s Cash Scandal: What Happened?

On March 15, firefighters responding to a blaze at Justice Varma’s government bungalow in central Delhi discovered stacks of charred ₹500 currency notes.
Though the judge denied any connection to the money and called it a “conspiracy”, the incident triggered a national uproar over alleged judicial corruption.
The Supreme Court formed an in-house committee, which concluded in a 64-page report that Justice Varma’s conduct warranted impeachment.

The report was submitted to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the then Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Kumar.

🔹 Key Findings from the In-House Report

The burnt cash was found in an outhouse maintained by Justice Varma and his family.
Report cited serious questions about his accountability and integrity.
It recommended immediate impeachment proceedings.

🔹 Justice Varma’s Legal Pushback

Justice Varma has filed a petition in the Supreme Court, challenging:

The jurisdiction of the in-house committee
The lack of fair hearing
The alleged overreach by the Chief Justice and the Supreme Court

He argued the Supreme Court has no power of superintendence over High Court judges and that the proceedings violated natural justice.

🔹 No Prior Judicial Impeachment in Independent India

While five judges have previously faced potential impeachment, none have been removed. The closest case involved former Chief Justice Dipak Misra in 2018, which was withdrawn before any action was taken.

🔹 Centre Confirms Its Intent

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju confirmed on Sunday that the Centre fully supports the impeachment motion, stating the government is committed to maintaining transparency and accountability in the judiciary.

🔹 A Historic Moment for Indian Judiciary

This case sets a precedent and raises essential questions about judicial ethics, oversight, and the power balance between the judiciary and Parliament.