In a rare constitutional step, the Lok Sabha has initiated impeachment proceedings against Allahabad High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma under Articles 124(4), 217, and 218 of the Constitution.
Speaker Om Birla announced that the motion, submitted on July 31 and backed by 146 Lok Sabha members and 63 Rajya Sabha members, followed revelations earlier this year when charred bundles of cash were found at Justice Varma&rsquo;s official residence in Delhi after a March fire. A judicial inquiry concluded that he exercised &ldquo;secret or active control&rdquo; over the money, prompting the Chief Justice of India to recommend his removal.
A three-member statutory committee has been formed under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, comprising Justice Arvind Kumar of the Supreme Court, Justice Manindar Mohan Shrivastava, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, and senior jurist V.V. Acharya of the Karnataka High Court. The panel will investigate and submit its findings before any further parliamentary vote.
Justice Varma had challenged the inquiry in the Supreme Court, citing procedural bias, but the apex court upheld the process, calling it transparent and constitutional.
If the committee upholds the allegations, the motion will need a two-thirds majority in both Houses and approval by the President. This is only the third time in India&rsquo;s history that impeachment proceedings have been initiated against a sitting judge, highlighting the seriousness of the charges and the focus on judicial accountability.
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]
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Parliament moves to remove Allahabad HC judge over black money allegations

Lok Sabha Begins Justice Varma Impeachment

Parliament moves to remove Allahabad HC judge over black money allegations

August 12, 2025 | 13:04 IST