Key Points

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju is rallying political parties to consider an impeachment motion against High Court Judge Yashwant Varma. This follows allegations of "burnt cash" discovered at Varma's residence, raising questions about the integrity of the judiciary. An in-house inquiry report has been submitted, prompting public and political scrutiny. Amidst the controversy, CPI's D Raja has expressed support for the impeachment, calling for restored judicial credibility.

Key Points: Kiren Rijiju Leads Move Against Justice Yashwant Varma

  • Kiren Rijiju urges impeachment against Justice Varma
  • Allegations of cash at Varma's residence stir controversy
  • In-house inquiry report raises judiciary credibility issues
  • CPI and D Raja back action for judicial accountability
4 min read

Kiren Rijiju starts speaking with political parties for impeachment motion against HC Judge Yashwant Varma

Kiren Rijiju engages parties for impeachment against Judge Varma amid judicial credibility concerns.

"To restore the credibility of our judiciary, there must be some strong action. - D Raja"

New Delhi, June 3

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has started speaking with various political parties for an impeachment motion against High Court judge Yashwant Varma in the next Parliament Session, government sources said on Tuesday. The Supreme Court had constituted an inquiry committee following allegations of "burnt cash" found at a storeroom of Justice Varma's residence when he was a Judge of the Delhi High Court.

The in-house inquiry committee submitted its report on the issue last month, which has since been forwarded to the Prime Minister and the President of India.

"The Parliamentary Affairs Minister has started speaking to all parties for impeachment motion against HC judge Yashwant Varma," a source said.

On May 4, a panel of judges tasked with conducting an internal inquiry into allegations of cash being discovered at Justice Yashwant Varma's official residence submitted its report to the then Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna.

According to an official communication from the Supreme Court, the three-member committee, comprising Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, Justice GS Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh and Justice Anu Sivaraman, Judge of the High Court of Karnataka concluded its investigation and presented its findings in a report dated May 3.

The Chief Justice of India constituted this committee on March 22 to examine the allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma, a sitting judge of the High Court of Delhi.

On April 5, Justice Yashwant Varma was sworn in as a judge of the Allahabad High Court under unusual and contentious circumstances.

CPI general secretary D Raja had said on Wednesday that credibility of judiciary needs to be restored and his party will support the action against Justice Varma.

"Let them bring the impeachment motion. The Judiciary should understand that it has to work within the framework of the Constitution... To restore the credibility of our judiciary, there must be some strong action. We will support the impeachment motion. But the point is, when will it be brought? We raised several critical questions about the money found in the judge's residence, but concrete action has been delayed... Our party will participate in the debate before the Parliament when this issue is discussed," Raja told ANI.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar had last month referred to the cash-discovery row, saying there is no FIR to date.

"We're confronted with the jarring reality. A judge's residence in Lutyens Delhi had burnt notes. There is no FIR to date...Everyone in the country is now thinking whether this will be washed off or fade with time, and they are really concerned. How come the criminal justice system was not operationalised as it would have been done for every other individual?... This issue for which people are waiting with bated breath, the money trail, its source, its purpose," Dhankhar said at an event in the national capital.

"Did it pollute the judicial system? Who are the bigger sharks? We need to find out. Already two months have gone by. An investigation is required to be conducted with expedition. So is the case with the registration of an FIR. I do hope and believe that the Supreme Court acted the very best so far because it had a legacy issue of judgments imparted in the nineties," he added.

He lauded some of the steps taken by the Supreme Court.

"But now is the time to take a call. Partly the confidence has been restored by Justice Khanna. When you put in public domain documentation which people thought will never be shown to them. That was a big step by him to project accountability and transparency. If democratic values have to prosper, I am sure this is a test case. There must be a swift investigation by those concerned with the investigation," the Vice President said.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rajesh K.
Finally some action being taken! Judiciary must be held accountable like any other institution. The delay in filing FIR itself raises questions. Hope this impeachment motion moves forward swiftly. 🇮🇳
P
Priya M.
This case is damaging public trust in judiciary. But impeachment should be based on solid evidence, not just allegations. The inquiry committee report must be made public for transparency. Justice should not only be done, but seen to be done.
A
Amit S.
Why was Justice Varma transferred to Allahabad HC amid these allegations? Seems like someone tried to sweep this under the carpet. Kudos to VP Dhankhar for speaking up! Judiciary needs thorough cleaning.
S
Sunita R.
As a law student, this case worries me deeply. If judges aren't above board, how can common people expect justice? The 'burnt cash' episode smells fishy. Hope Parliament handles this carefully without political point-scoring.
V
Vikram J.
While action is needed, impeachment is too extreme without criminal trial first. Let police investigate properly. Judiciary's independence is crucial for democracy. We shouldn't create precedent of political interference in judicial matters.
N
Neha T.
This case shows how deep corruption runs in our system 😔 From politicians to judges, everyone seems compromised. When will honest Indians get the country we deserve? At least some action is being taken now...
K
Karan P.
Interesting that CPI is supporting this motion while usually opposing government actions. Shows how serious this issue is!

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