Panel Hands Over Reports To Lok Sabha Speaker In Judge Cash Recovery Matter
Probe reports submitted in judge cash recovery case investigation.
A committee constituted to investigate allegations against former Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma submitted its report to Om Birla on Monday in connection with the cash recovery case that had triggered impeachment proceedings against the judge. Officials said the report was submitted in accordance with the provisions of the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, and would be tabled before both Houses of Parliament during the next session.
The inquiry panel was formed by Speaker Birla on August 12, 2025, after more than 200 Members of Parliament reportedly signed a motion seeking Justice Varma’s impeachment. The allegations stemmed from a fire incident at the judge’s official residence in Delhi on March 14, 2025, during which firefighters allegedly discovered a large quantity of burnt cash stored inside a room on the premises.
An in-house committee set up earlier by former Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna had reportedly concluded that Justice Varma exercised “active or tacit control” over the storeroom where the cash was found. The findings intensified scrutiny over the judge and eventually led to impeachment proceedings being initiated in Parliament.
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However, before Parliament could take further action, Justice Varma resigned from his post as a judge of the Allahabad High Court. Legal experts and officials familiar with judicial procedures noted that, under Supreme Court rulings, a judge is considered to have resigned once the resignation is submitted to the President and made public. They added that such resignations do not require formal acceptance by the President to become effective, although a notification is later issued by the Department of Justice.
Despite his resignation, the inquiry committee continued its work and completed its investigation. Officials associated with the process stated that the panel’s functioning was not affected because the inquiry had commenced while Justice Varma was still serving as a sitting judge. They described the committee’s work as a judicial process independent of the resignation issue.
Justice Varma’s name reportedly still appears on the Allahabad High Court roster, though legal experts maintain that he is now effectively a private citizen. Observers said Parliament would now have to determine how to proceed once the report is formally tabled, particularly since impeachment provisions generally apply only to sitting judges. The matter is expected to draw significant attention during the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament.
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