Justice Varma Faces Impeachment as 145 Lok Sabha MPs Sign Motion Over Cash Row

In an unprecedented bipartisan move, 145 Members of Parliament from both the ruling coalition and Opposition parties jointly signed an impeachment notice against Justice Yashwant Varma on Monday, submitting it to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

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In a historic move, 145 Lok Sabha MPs from across party lines have signed an impeachment notice against Justice Yashwant Varma, following the alleged recovery of burnt cash from his official residence in Delhi earlier this year. The notice, submitted to Speaker Om Birla, marks the beginning of what could become India’s first successful judicial impeachment.

The motion, backed by leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Anurag Thakur, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Supriya Sule, and K.C. Venugopal, has received support from a wide spectrum of parties such as the BJP, Congress, TDP, JD(U), JD(S), Janasena, AGP, Shiv Sena (Shinde), NCP, and CPI(M).

Filed under Articles 124, 217, and 218 of the Constitution, the notice calls for a parliamentary investigation into Justice Varma’s alleged misconduct. Article 217 allows for the removal of a High Court judge only on proven grounds of misbehaviour or incapacity, requiring a two-thirds majority in both Houses. Article 124(4) outlines the process for removal, which must be initiated by Parliament and approved by the President.

To proceed, the motion requires signatures from at least 100 Lok Sabha MPs or 50 Rajya Sabha MPs. With overwhelming support already secured, the matter is expected to be taken up during the Monsoon Session.

Justice Varma, who was transferred to the Allahabad High Court after the March 15 incident, has denied any wrongdoing and dismissed the allegations as “preposterous.” The cash recovery from his Delhi residence has sparked widespread concern over judicial accountability and corruption at the highest levels.

If Parliament proceeds with the investigation and both Houses pass the motion, it would mark the first-ever impeachment of a sitting judge in independent India. Previous attempts, including the 2018 case involving former Chief Justice Deepak Misra, failed to reach conclusion.

(With inputs from IANS)