New Delhi, May 19 (PTI): An inquiry committee, set up to investigate allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma, has submitted its report to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Justice Varma faced removal proceedings following the alleged discovery of unaccounted cash at his official residence. The report, presented following the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, will be laid before both Houses of Parliament soon, as confirmed by the Lok Sabha Secretariat. The Monsoon Session, expected to start in the third week of July, will be the next possible session for Parliament to meet. A three-member committee was established on August 12, 2025, following a fire on March 14, 2025, at Justice Varma's official residence. Firefighters reportedly found large amounts of burnt currency in a storeroom of his Delhi bungalow. At that time, Justice Varma was a judge at the Delhi High Court and was later transferred back to the Allahabad High Court. An in-house committee, led by then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, concluded that Varma had "active or tacit control" over the storeroom where the cash was hidden. In July 2025, over 200 MPs signed a motion for his removal. A judge of the Supreme Court or a high court, like the chief election commissioner, can only be removed by Parliament as per the Judges (Inquiry) Act. Last August, Speaker Birla formed a three-member Judges Inquiry Committee to investigate. However, Justice Varma resigned recently from his role as a judge at the Allahabad High Court, making the ongoing removal proceedings moot. According to those familiar with the judiciary's appointment and removal process, a judge is considered "deemed to have resigned" once a resignation is tendered and publicly circulated. Acceptance by the President is not required, although the resignation is formally acknowledged and later notified by the Law Ministry's Department of Justice. Justice Varma's name remains listed as a sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court. Based on an SC ruling and previous cases, Justice Varma's resignation has indeed rendered him a private citizen. Experts point out, thus, that Parliament cannot remove a former judge. Justice Varma was otherwise due to retire on January 5, 2031, at 62 years of age. The committee began its inquiry when Varma was still a sitting judge, making his resignation irrelevant to their investigation. "The panel's investigation is considered judicial work, and their submitted report reflects that," explained an expert. Parliament will decide on the report's findings once it is tabled.
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