The Supreme Court on Thursday, August 7, dismissed a petition filed by Justice Yashwant Varma, who had challenged the findings of an in-house inquiry report that recommended his removal following the discovery of a large amount of unaccounted cash at his residence earlier this year. The court’s decision effectively upholds the report’s conclusions and clears the path for further action against the judge.
With the verdict, Parliament is now expected to move forward with impeachment proceedings, which had been on hold pending the outcome of Justice Varma’s challenge. He had also contested the former Chief Justice of India’s recommendation to the President seeking his removal, but the apex court found no merit in his objections.
A bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and A.G. Masih ruled that the formation of the in-house committee and the procedures it followed were constitutionally valid. The judgment reinforces the legitimacy of internal judicial accountability mechanisms and sets a precedent for how similar cases may be handled in the future.
