Cash row: Impeachment of Justice Varma moves ahead as over 200 MPs submit motion

India Today

21-07-2025

Impeachment proceedings against Justice Yashwant Varma were set in motion after 152 MPs submitted a signed memorandum to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday. The High Court judge is facing removal over allegations of misconduct following the discovery of unaccounted cash at his residence.The motion, filed under Articles 124, 217, and 218 of the Constitution, garnered support from lawmakers across party lines, including the BJP, Congress, TDP, JDU, CPM, and others. Signatories include MPs Anurag Thakur, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Rahul Gandhi, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Supriya Sule, KC Venugopal, and PP Chaudhary.In the Upper House, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said he received a motion seeking Justice Varma's removal, signed by over 50 Rajya Sabha MPs. Since 152 Lok Sabha MPs submitted a similar notice, he directed the Secretary-General to take necessary steps to move the impeachment process forward.The Constitution mandates that the removal of a Supreme Court or High Court judge must follow a Presidential order, preceded by a motion signed by at least 100 Lok Sabha or 50 Rajya Sabha MPs. The Speaker or Chairman decides whether to admit the motion.Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Sunday that over 100 lawmakers had endorsed the impeachment motion. Last week, he stated all political parties were "on board" with the move.Allegations of misconduct against Justice Varma arose after a large number of charred currency notes were recovered from his official residence in Delhi following a fire on March 15. With the submission of the impeachment motion, Parliament will now investigate the matter.The judge has denied any wrongdoing. However, a Supreme Court-appointed three-member inquiry panel found that he and his family had active control over the storeroom where the burnt currency was discovered. The panel concluded that the misconduct was grave enough to warrant his removal.advertisementJustice Varma has challenged the impeachment recommendation in the Supreme Court. He argues that the inquiry committee failed to investigate crucial facts, and violated his rights as an individual and a constitutional functionary.The episode has sparked widespread concerns about corruption in the judiciary. It has also come amid friction between the government and the judiciary, with some members of the BJP accusing the Supreme Court of overreach.- Ends