Judicial panel submits report on judge Varma

NEW DELHI: The three-member committee headed by SC judge Aravind Kumar, which was looking into allegations of corruption against Allahabad HC judge Yashwant Varma, submitted its report to LS Speaker Om Birla Monday.

While Varma sent his resignation to President Murmu last month, his name continues to figure among judges of Allahabad HC on its portal and an official notification is yet to be published regarding his departure. These suggest Parliament may consider the report to explore further action against him when it meets during the Monsoon session.

Varma report to be laid in Parliament in due course
Under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, Parliament can take up a motion for removal of only serving judges. “The judges’ inquiry committee, investigating allegations concerning Justice Yashwant Varma, submitted its report to Speaker Om Birla today. The report, which was presented in accordance with the statutory requirements under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, will be laid before both Houses of Parliament in due course,” an LS secretariat statement said.

The committee was constituted under the Act by Birla after over 150 MPs across party lines had submitted in July last year a motion to this effect. However, former LS secretary general P D TAchary said a judge’s resignation is effective from the time it is sent to the President and need not require to be formally accepted. Varma was indicted by a committee constituted by then CJI Sanjiv Khanna following the discovery of a large amount of charred and partially burnt wads of currency notes at his official premises in March 2025, first reported by TOI.

Bombay HC CJ Shree Chandrashekhar and Karnataka HC senior advocate B V Acharya were the two other members of the committee tasked with probing the charges. At the time of the cash discovery, Varma was posted in Delhi HC. He was then transferred to Allahabad HC, his parent cadre, but was kept off active duty. Though he denied the allegation of financial impropriety and claimed ignorance of how the money landed at the outhouse of his premises, demand has grown for his ouster and legal action against him.