Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has accepted a resolution signed by 146 Members of Parliament (MPs) seeking the removal of Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court. Justice Varma is facing allegations of corruption after half-burnt bundles of cash were recovered from his official residence. To investigate these charges, Om Birla has set up a three-member inquiry committee.
The committee includes Justice Aravind Kumar of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava of the Madras High Court, and senior advocate B V Acharya of the Karnataka High Court. The committee would present its report at the earliest, which will then serve as the basis for debate and voting in Parliament on Justice Varma’s impeachment.
The resolution stated that judges must maintain impeccable character and integrity because public trust in the judiciary depends on it. It further stated that the allegations of corruption violated constitutional principles and deserved due scrutiny.
Om Birla said that the proposal was in line with the rules and, under Section 3(2) of the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, a three-member committee had been formed to examine the grounds for Justice Varma’s removal.
Know about the Committee Members
Justice Aravind Kumar (Supreme Court): Appointed to the Supreme Court in February 2023, he previously served as Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court. Known for his work in education, he helped set up “signal schools” for children begging at traffic lights. At the Supreme Court, he issued guidelines to reduce case backlogs, including strict timelines for summons and written statements.
Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava (Madras High Court): He began his judicial career in the Chhattisgarh High Court in 2009. Later, in Rajasthan, he delivered significant rulings such as ensuring reservations for transgender persons and restoring retirement parity for Ayurvedic doctors. In July 2025, he became Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
B V Acharya (Senior Advocate, Karnataka High Court): A veteran lawyer with over six decades of experience, he served five terms as Karnataka’s Advocate General. He is best known as the Special Public Prosecutor in the disproportionate assets case against former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa. Despite political pressure, he pursued the case diligently, which eventually led to her conviction in 2017.
How the Cash Was Discovered?
The incident unfolded when a fire broke out at Justice Verma’s residence in Delhi. At the time, the judge was not present in the city. His family members, who were at home, called emergency services for assistance. When fire officials arrived, they noticed the large sum of cash and alerted the police.
Following standard procedures, the information was passed up through official channels, eventually reaching the Supreme Court Collegium. Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, who heads the Collegium, took immediate action and ordered Justice Verma’s transfer. Click here to read full story.
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