SC rejects Justice Varma's plea against impeachment proceedings, clears way for Lok Sabha inquiry panel

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a petition filed by Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma challenging the Lok Sabha Speaker’s decision to admit a motion for his removal and constitute a three-member inquiry committee under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968. The ruling clears the way for the inquiry panel to proceed further.

A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma held that Justice Varma was not entitled to any relief. Reading out the operative part of the verdict, the court rejected his challenge to the procedure adopted by the Speaker and upheld the constitution of the inquiry committee.

Justice Varma had questioned the legality of the process after reports of unaccounted cash allegedly being found at his official residence in Delhi last year. He argued that since removal motions were moved in both Houses of Parliament on the same day, a joint committee was mandatory under the 1968 law.

The court, however, accepted the contention that the Rajya Sabha motion was never admitted and therefore did not attain legal existence. In such circumstances, the bench held, the Lok Sabha Speaker was competent to independently admit the motion and constitute an inquiry committee.

The judges also rejected the argument that the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman lacked authority to decline admission of the motion in the Upper House. The bench noted that stalling the process on such grounds could paralyse the constitutional mechanism for judicial accountability.

With the plea dismissed, the three-member inquiry committee constituted by the Lok Sabha Speaker will continue its proceedings. Justice Varma has submitted his response to the panel and is scheduled to appear before it later this month.