Latest news with #YashwantVarma
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
'Did you take chance…?': SC to Justice Yashwant Varma on his plea against probe into cash at his home
'Why did you appear before the inquiry committee? Did you take chance of favourable order there first?' the Supreme Court asked Justice Yashwant Varma on Monday, as he sought quashing of an adverse report of the SC in-house committee. Justice Yashwant Varma(PTI File) The committee found him guilty of misconduct over the unaccounted-for cash found at his Delhi residence in March. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Justice Varma, submitted that there is a process to be followed under Article 124 of the Constitution, and that a judge can't be a subject of public debate, PTI reported. At this point, the bench asked, "Why did you (Justice Varma) appear before the inquiry committee? Did you take a chance of a favourable order there first?" Justice Varma's plea challenges the probe report and the committee's very remit. It also seeks quashing of the then CJI Sanjiv Khanna's recommendation to initiate impeachment proceedings against him. For now posted at the Allahabad high court, Justice Varma is staring at action via Parliament. Also read | Lok Sabha will initiate proceedings to remove Justice Yashwant Varma: Kiren Rijiju When cash was allegedly found by firefighters in a blaze at his residence on March 14, he was a judge of the Delhi HC. He was not present there, and has strongly denied any involvement, asserting that neither he nor his family members placed the cash in the storeroom. He has also alleged that the probe committee proceeded in a pre-determined fashion and merely drew inferences. He wants that the recommendation by the CJI — asking the President and Prime Minister to start his removal process — be declared unconstitutional, ANI reported. Also read | BJP orchestrated VP Jagdeep Dhankhar's exit over Justice Varma: Cong He has further argued that the in-house procedure extended beyond its role of self-regulation and fact-finding: 'By culminating in recommendations for removal from constitutional office, it creates a parallel, extra-constitutional mechanism." The committee constituted on March 22 was comprised of Justices Sheel Nagu (then CJ of Punjab and Haryana high court), GS Sandhawalia (then CJ of Himachal Pradesh HC), and Anu Sivaraman (judge of Karnataka HC. (with agency inputs)
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Cash discovery row: SC questions Justice Yashwant Varma over his petition
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday questioned Allahabad High Court Judge Yashwant Varma over his plea seeking invalidation of a report by an in-house inquiry panel which found him guilty of misconduct in the cash discovery row . A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and AG Masih quizzed Justice Varma over the parties made in the petition and said he should have filed an in-house inquiry report with his plea. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Product Management MBA MCA Project Management Design Thinking others Degree Finance Digital Marketing Healthcare Technology Data Science healthcare Management Artificial Intelligence PGDM Data Science CXO Operations Management Data Analytics Leadership Others Public Policy Cybersecurity Skills you'll gain: Product Strategy & Roadmapping User-Centric Product Design Agile Product Development Market Analysis & Product Launch Duration: 24 Weeks Indian School of Business Professional Certificate in Product Management Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Creating Effective Product Roadmap User Research & Translating it to Product Design Key Metrics via Product Analytics Hand-On Projects Using Cutting Edge Tools Duration: 12 Weeks Indian School of Business ISB Product Management Starts on May 14, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Product Strategy & Competitive Advantage Tactics Product Development Processes & Market Orientations Product Analytics & Data-Driven Decision Making Agile Development, Design Thinking, & Product Leadership Duration: 40 Weeks IIM Kozhikode Professional Certificate in Product Management Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details Senior advocate Kapil Sibal , appearing for Justice Varma, submitted that there is a process under Article 124 (the Establishment and constitution of the Supreme Court), and a judge can't be a subject matter of public debate. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cardiologist Reveals: The Simple Morning Habit for a Flatter Belly After 50! Lulutox Undo "The release of video on SC website, public furore, media accusations against judges are prohibited as per constitutional scheme," Sibal said. At this point, the bench said, "Why did you appear before the inquiry committee? Did you take a chance of a favourable order there first?" Live Events The hearing is underway.
NDTV
2 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"XXX vs Union Of India": Top Court To Hear Justice Varma's Challenge Today
New Delhi: Justice Yashwant Varma, who has approached the Supreme Court after its three-member panel recommended his removal, has kept his identity a secret while filing the petition. The Allahabad High Court judge, who made headlines after a massive cash recovery at his Delhi home after a fire, is referred to as "XXX" in the court documents. The bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Augustine George Masih will today hear Justice Varma's petition, which challenges the findings of the three-member panel. Following the huge cash recovery from his Delhi home, Justice Varma was transferred to the Allahabad High Court from his earlier posting in the Delhi High Court. The then Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna formed a three-judge panel to investigate the matter. Following the panel's report, the then Chief Justice recommended Justice Varma's removal. In his challenge to the action against him, the judge has said he was not at his Delhi home when the cash was discovered. He said the top court panel probing the matter did not hear him. The judge has said that the Supreme Court's recommendation for his removal based on the panel's report "usurps parliamentary authority to the extent that it empowers the judiciary to recommend or opine on the removal of Judges from constitutionally held office". "This violates the doctrine of separation of powers, which is part of the basic structure of the Constitution, as the judiciary cannot assume the role reserved for the legislature in the removal of judges," it says. Justice Varma has said the top court's in-house procedure to probe the matter was "improper and invalid" because there was no formal complaint against him. The judge has also flagged the top court's "unprecedented public disclosure of these unverified allegations via press release" and said it had subjected him to "media trial, resulting in irreparable damage to his personal reputation and career as a judicial officer". The proceedings, he said, had "violated natural justice, reasonableness and fairness under Article 14". "The Committee failed to notify the Petitioner of its devised procedure, denied him any opportunity to provide inputs on the evidence to be collected, examined witnesses in his absence and provided him with paraphrased statements instead of video recordings (despite availability), selectively disclosed only 'incriminating' material, ignored and failed to collect relevant and exculpatory evidence like CCTV footage (despite Petitioner's requests), denied opportunities of personal hearing, did not put any specific/tentative case to the Petitioner, impermissibly reversed the burden of proof without notice to the Petitioner, and effectively hindered any effective defence by the Petitioner," the judge has said in his petition. Justice Varma has said he had been asked to resign or seek voluntary retirement within an "unduly restricted timeline", failing which he was informed that action to initiate his "removal" would be initiated. The judge's counsel filed an application seeking permission to file the petition without disclosing his identity, Supreme Court records show.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Justice Varma cash recovery row: Supreme Court hearing on Allahabad HC Judge Justice Varma LIVE updates on July 28, 2025
July 28, 2025 09:35 Lok Sabha to take up motion to remove Justice Varma, motion not admitted in Rajya Sabha Lok Sabha will take up a bipartisan motion to remove Justice Yashwant Varma, who is embroiled in a suspected corruption case, as the opposition-sponsored notice for a similar motion in Rajya Sabha was not admitted. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Friday (July 25, 2025) that it was a unanimous decision of all political parties to move unitedly in a case of perceived corruption in judiciary, asserting that Lok Sabha will take up the motion, which was signed by 152 MPs from the ruling alliance and the Opposition. Official sources said the Opposition-sponsored notice for a similar motion in Rajya Sabha, which received it on the same day when the bipartisan notice was submitted to Lok Sabha on July 21, has not been admitted. This ends speculation about the fate of the notice signed by 63 Rajya Sabha members of Opposition parties. Then Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar had mentioned receiving it in the House, alarming the government and triggering a chain of events that led to his abrupt resignation on the same night. Mr. Rijiju said all political parties had agreed that the removal of Varma should be a joint call, adding that the proceedings will be taken up in Lok Sabha and then move to Rajya Sabha in line with the Judges (Enquiry) Act. -- PTI
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Dhankhar's exit: A cautionary tale for political ambitions
The concentration of power in the hands of the Chairman and the manner of its exercise are reflected in the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha. The suspension of opposition members, instances of switching off their microphones, and the open bias reflected in the allocation of subject matters to be raised and discussed in the House are all matters of record. The frequent public articulations of the Vice President questioning the theory of the Constitution's 'basic structure' and that the laws made by Parliament must get primacy within the constitutional framework, and reprimanding members of the House raising objections to and questioning the constitutionality of legislation initiated, are also reflected in the proceedings of the House. The Chairman's conduct, both within and outside the House, often aligned with the BJP's agenda and ideology. He frequently commented upon the necessity of enacting and implementing a legislative framework in which the power to appoint judges to the higher judiciary was vested in the government. Despite all this, the Vice President resigned on July 21, 2025, citing alleged health reasons that prevented him from continuing in office. It is pretty clear from subsequent events that the reason the Vice President resigned had nothing to do with his 'precarious' health, but rather with his actions, both known and unknown to the public. What is evident is that his announcement in the Rajya Sabha regarding the motion moved against Justice Yashwant Varma riled the government because the Lok Sabha, which was also seized of a similar motion by more than 100 Members of that House, had not dealt with it. This appears to be the trigger point for the Vice President's resignation, apart from other possible reasons that we may not be aware of. The meeting of the Business Advisory Committee held at 4:30 pm on the day of his resignation, not being attended either by the Leader of the House, or the Minister of Law & Justice, or, for that matter, the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, was an ominous signal, a precursor to what was to follow. The fact that he has not been given a farewell, and that none in the BJP visited him to inquire after his health, along with the tepid tweet from the Prime Minister, suggested that the government was no longer in a mood to tolerate him.
