Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday announced a three-member panel to investigate allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma, at whose residence a large sum of burned and partially burned cash was found after a fire in March this year.
The fire broke out on March 14 at Justice Varma’s residence while he was serving as a Delhi High Court judge.
Panel Members Announced
The investigation panel will be led by Justice Aravind Kumar of the Supreme Court, along with Madras High Court Chief Justice Maninder Mohan and senior advocate BV Acharaya. The move comes after the Supreme Court dismissed Justice Varma’s plea last week to invalidate the report of an SC-appointed in-house inquiry panel that had found him guilty of misconduct.
#WATCH | Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announces a 3-member panel to probe allegations against High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma.
He says, “The members of the Committee include Justice Arvind Kumar, Supreme Court Judge, Justice Maninder Mohan Srivastava, Chief Justice… pic.twitter.com/hKTt4PiZFt
— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2025
On March 21, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna sought a written reply from Justice Varma over the allegations. The next day, the judge submitted his response, denying all charges. Following this, CJI Khanna constituted a three-member committee to conduct an inquiry. The Supreme Court later uploaded the in-house report on its website, along with photos and videos related to the case.
READ MORE: Justice Yashwant Varma Urges Supreme Court to Dismiss In-House Report
On July 30, the top court observed that Justice Varma’s conduct “did not inspire confidence” and stressed that the CJI is not merely a “post office” but holds duties to act against judicial misconduct.
Case Titled ‘XXX v. The Union of India’
The Supreme Court was hearing Justice Varma’s petition, filed under the anonymised title ‘XXX v. The Union of India’, seeking to nullify the in-house panel’s findings.
The bench questioned why the judge appeared before the inquiry committee without objecting to its process at the time and why he approached the apex court only after being found guilty.
The court told Justice Varma that he “should have come earlier” to challenge the panel’s report.
READ MORE: Government May Bring Impeachment Motion Against Justice Yashwant Varma in Monsoon Session
The allegations stem from the discovery of a large amount of burned and partially burned cash at Justice Varma’s residence after firefighters put out the blaze. The origin and purpose of the cash remain unclear, and the matter has raised concerns about financial propriety within the higher judiciary.
Spotlight on Judicial Accountability
The development rekindles the larger discussion about judicial accountability in India, even while the details of the case against Justice Varma continue to be the main focus. This is one of the few instances, according to legal experts, where a high court judge who is still serving or has just left office is subject to both legislative and internal investigation.
The establishment of a separate inquiry panel by Parliament indicates a growing desire to look into judicial behavior outside of the court’s walls. While some warn that it must not compromise judicial independence, others argue that this dual scrutiny could increase public confidence in the system.\
MUST READ: All Parties United in Push to Impeach Justice Yashwant Varma: Rijiju
