Justice Yashwant Varma Faces Removal Proceedings: Lok Sabha Speaker Forms Three-Member Probe Panel
In a far-reaching development in the judiciary, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has formally set in motion the process to remove Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court. Acting under Section 3(2) of the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, the Speaker on Tuesday announced the constitution of a three-member inquiry committee to investigate allegations against the judge.
The newly formed panel includes Supreme Court Justice Aravind Kumar, Madras High Court Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, and senior Karnataka High Court advocate B V Acharya. Their mandate is to examine the charges that led to one of the rarest of judicial disciplinary actions in recent years.
The Case Against Justice Varma
The controversy began on March 14, 2025, when burnt wads of currency notes were allegedly found at Justice Varma’s official residence in New Delhi.
At the time, he was serving in the Delhi High Court. The incident immediately drew national attention, prompting then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna to set up an in-house inquiry committee.
This earlier committee comprised Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice G S Sandhawalia, and Karnataka High Court Justice Anu Sivaraman.
Based on their findings, CJI Khanna recommended that Justice Varma resign from office. Justice Varma, however, refused to step down.
The matter escalated to the Supreme Court, where last week a bench dismissed Justice Varma’s challenge to CJI Khanna’s recommendation for his removal.
This effectively cleared the way for the current parliamentary procedure, which is now underway.
Members of the Inquiry Committee
Justice Aravind Kumar
Currently serving as a judge of the Supreme Court of India, Justice Aravind Kumar was elevated to the apex court in February 2023 and is due to serve until July 2027.
His judicial journey began after over two decades of legal practice starting in 1987, during which he handled a wide spectrum of civil and criminal cases.
He has served as Additional Central Government Standing Counsel for the Income Tax Department for 11 years, Special Public Prosecutor for the CBI, and Assistant Solicitor General of India.
Appointed to the Karnataka High Court in 2009, Justice Kumar served there for nine years before becoming Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court in 2021.
His tenure has been marked by notable social initiatives, including the creation of signal schools to provide education to underprivileged children begging at traffic intersections.
In the Supreme Court, he authored a landmark judgment setting timelines for lower courts — speeding up summons service, limiting delays in filing written statements, and promoting alternative dispute resolution to tackle case backlogs.
Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava
Presently the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, Justice Shrivastava brings decades of legal expertise in constitutional, labour, service, education, and election law.
Starting his career in 1987 after graduating from K R Law College in Bilaspur, he built a solid practice before both the Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh High Courts. In 2005, he was designated Senior Advocate.
Appointed as a judge of the Chhattisgarh High Court in 2009, he was later transferred to the Rajasthan High Court, serving as Acting Chief Justice on three separate occasions before his elevation as Chief Justice of the Madras High Court in July 2025.
His judicial record includes path-breaking decisions — directing reservations for transgender persons in public employment, reinstating Ayurvedic doctors with retirement parity to Allopathic doctors, and holding bar association strikes unlawful to uphold judicial discipline.
If not elevated to the Supreme Court, he is due to retire in March 2026.
B V Acharya
At 93, B V Acharya is one of India’s most respected and experienced legal minds, with a career spanning more than six decades. Joining the Bar in 1957, he was designated a Senior Advocate in 1989 and appointed Advocate General of Karnataka shortly thereafter — a position he went on to hold for five terms under multiple chief ministers, regardless of political affiliation.
His most high-profile assignment was as Special Public Prosecutor in the disproportionate assets case against former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa. Appointed by the Supreme Court, he conducted the politically sensitive trial from 2004 to 2012. Facing intense political pressure, he resigned in 2012, but was reinstated in 2016 by Supreme Court orders and successfully secured Jayalalithaa’s conviction.
Acharya’s reputation for legal acumen and integrity has made him a respected figure in judicial circles across the country.
A Rare Parliamentary Process in Motion
The formation of the inquiry committee marks a crucial step in the removal proceedings of a sitting High Court judge — a process that is constitutionally rare and politically sensitive. Under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, the committee will conduct a detailed probe, after which its report will be tabled in Parliament. If both Houses pass the removal motion with a two-thirds majority, Justice Varma will be formally removed from office.
The coming weeks are expected to see intense legal and political attention on this case, given the rarity of such proceedings and the high-profile nature of the allegations.
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