The Judges Inquiry Committee submitted its report on corruption allegations against Yashwant Varma to Om Birla, with Justice Aravind Kumar formally handing over the findings at Parliament House under the Judges Inquiry Act, 1968.
The Judges Inquiry Committee constituted to examine allegations of corruption against Justice Yashwant Varma has submitted its report to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The report was formally handed over at Parliament House by Supreme Court judge Justice Aravind Kumar, who served as the Presiding Officer of the Committee.
According to the Press Information Bureau, the other members of the panel Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Senior Advocate BV Acharya were also present during the submission of the report. The document has been submitted in compliance with the provisions of the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, and is expected to be placed before both Houses of Parliament in due course.
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The committee was constituted by Speaker Om Birla on August 12, 2025, after serious allegations surfaced against Justice Varma. The inquiry forms part of the constitutional mechanism available for examining allegations of misconduct against judges of the higher judiciary.
Background of the Controversy
The controversy surrounding Justice Varma began after a fire reportedly broke out at his residence on the evening of March 14. At the time of the incident, Justice Varma and his wife were said to be travelling in Madhya Pradesh, while only his daughter and elderly mother were present at the house.
The incident took a dramatic turn after reports emerged that large quantities of unaccounted cash were allegedly discovered during the fire. Soon afterward, a video circulated publicly showing bundles of currency notes burning inside the residence, triggering widespread political and legal debate.
The allegations quickly escalated into a major controversy involving the judiciary, with opposition leaders and legal observers demanding a transparent investigation into the source of the cash and the circumstances under which it was allegedly recovered.
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Justice Varma strongly denied all allegations of corruption. In his response, he maintained that he was being deliberately targeted and claimed that the episode appeared to be part of a conspiracy designed to frame him. He consistently denied any wrongdoing throughout the proceedings.
In-House Probe Initiated by the Supreme Court
Following the emergence of the allegations, then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna initiated an in-house inquiry into the matter on March 22. A three-member committee was constituted to conduct a preliminary investigation into the allegations against Justice Varma.
The in-house panel comprised Justice Sheel Nagu, Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Anu Sivaraman. The committee commenced its proceedings on March 25 and eventually submitted its findings to the Chief Justice on May 4.
After reviewing the report, Chief Justice Khanna reportedly asked Justice Varma to either resign from his post or face possible impeachment proceedings. However, Justice Varma declined to step down voluntarily.
Subsequently, the Chief Justice forwarded both the inquiry report and Justice Varma’s response to the President of India and the Prime Minister, thereby initiating the constitutional process relating to the possible removal of a High Court judge.
Amid the ongoing controversy, Justice Varma was transferred from the Delhi High Court back to his parent court, the Allahabad High Court. His judicial responsibilities were also withdrawn pending further action.
Formation of the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee
In August 2025, Speaker Om Birla formally initiated proceedings for the possible removal of Justice Varma by constituting a statutory Judges Inquiry Committee under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.
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The committee was originally made up of Justice Aravind Kumar, then Madras High Court Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, and Senior Advocate BV Acharya. However, after Justice Shrivastava retired on March 6, he was replaced by Bombay High Court Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar.
The committee was tasked with examining the allegations in detail, recording evidence, and determining whether the charges against Justice Varma amounted to “proved misbehaviour” under constitutional standards governing judicial accountability.
In January this year, the Supreme Court of India declined to interfere with the inquiry proceedings initiated against Justice Varma. The apex court held that the Speaker of the Lok Sabha possessed the legal authority to constitute a Judges Inquiry Committee under the existing statutory framework.
The ruling effectively cleared the way for the parliamentary inquiry process to continue without judicial interruption and reinforced the constitutional procedure laid down for investigating allegations against judges of constitutional courts.
With the committee now having submitted its report, the matter is expected to move to the next stage of parliamentary consideration. The findings of the panel could play a crucial role in determining whether impeachment proceedings against Justice Varma will advance further in Parliament.
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