Motion To Remove Justice Yashwant Varma To Be Brought In Lok Sabha: Kiren Rijiju

New Delhi: Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has said that the motion to impeach Justice Yashwant Varma will be brought in Lok Sabha and there shouldn't be any doubt about it.

In a statement, the Union Minister said, “We shouldn't remain in any doubt, proceedings to remove Justice Yashwant Varma will begin in Lok Sabha.”

The Union Minister's statement has come amid speculations that Justice Varma, who is under scanner after sacks of unaccounted cash were recovered from his Delhi residence after a fire had broke out earlier in March, will be impeached in the current ongoing Monsoon session of the Parliament.

Earlier on July 21, the then Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar acknowledged receiving a motion to remove High Court Justice Yashwant Varma, backed by more than 50 Rajya Sabha members. A similar motion, endorsed by over 145 Lok Sabha MPs, has also been submitted.

The move comes amid serious misconduct allegations against Justice Varma, following the reported discovery of burnt currency notes at his home.

An in-house inquiry committee found him guilty, but Justice Varma has rejected the findings and challenged the report in the Supreme Court. This has triggered a rare and intricate parliamentary process for the removal of a judge.

Why Delhi High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma is under scanner?

Delhi High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma is under investigation after a large amount of unaccounted cash was allegedly recovered from his residence following a fire that broke out on March 14, during the Holi weekend.

According to reports, neither Justice Yashwant Varma nor his wife were in town at that time, as they were in Bhopal. A call was made from their residence to the fire department, after which firefighters arrived and extinguished the flames.

After the incident surfaced, the Supreme Court Collegium transferred Justice Yashwant Varma to his parent Allahabad High Court. However, this decision drew criticism from the judicial fraternity, which questioned why stronger action was not taken, given the seriousness of the allegations.

On Friday, the Supreme Court clarified in a statement that the decision to transfer Justice Yashwant Varma was unrelated to the cash recovery incident.