The Supreme Court announced on Wednesday that it will form a special bench to hear Allahabad High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma’s plea to nullify an in-house inquiry panel’s report that found him guilty of misconduct in a controversial cash discovery case. Justice Varma also seeks to quash a May 8 recommendation by former Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, which urged Parliament to initiate impeachment proceedings against him.

The issue was raised urgently before a bench led by Chief Justice B R Gavai, alongside Justices K Vinod Chandran and Joymalya Bagchi. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Justice Varma, emphasized the constitutional issues at stake and requested an early listing. Chief Justice Gavai, noting his prior involvement in the process, stated he would constitute a new bench to ensure impartiality.

Justice Varma’s petition argues that the inquiry panel unfairly reversed the burden of proof, forcing him to disprove allegations, and rushed proceedings at the cost of procedural fairness. The panel, led by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, investigated a March 14 fire at Justice Varma’s then-Delhi High Court residence, where half-burnt cash was found in a storeroom allegedly under his control.

The 10-day inquiry, which examined 55 witnesses, concluded that the findings warranted his removal. Former CJI Khanna had acted on the report, recommending impeachment to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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