The government will sponsor an impeachment motion against former Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, starting July 21, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Wednesday.

“I have reached out to the leaders of all major political parties. As this is a non-political issue it would be better for all parties to be on board…..It’s not a political issue, it’s a matter of seriousness related to corruption in the judiciary…… We will evolve a consensus,” Rijiju told newsmen.

Advertisement

The controversy erupted during a fire incident at Justice Varma’s residence in New Delhi on March 14 when fire-fighters allegedly discovered sacks of unaccounted cash at his official residence. Justice Varma categorically denied knowledge of any such money, claiming neither he nor his staff were aware of currency in such quantities.

Following the discovery, then CJI Sanjiv Khanna called an extraordinary meeting of the Supreme Court collegium to discuss the serious allegations after which Varma was relieved from judicial duties at the Delhi High Court.

On 22nd March, the CJI formally constituted a three-member committee comprising Justice Sheel Nagu (Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court), Justice G S Sandhawalia (Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court), and Justice Anu Sivaraman (Judge of Karnataka High Court) to conduct a thorough investigation under the in-house procedure.

The Supreme Court also requested detailed information about security personnel posted at Justice Varma’s residence in the six months preceding the incident, indicating a comprehensive approach to the investigation.

The three-member inquiry committee submitted its report on 3rd May 2025, finding substantial credence in the allegations against Justice Varma. Based on these findings, the CJI Khanna reportedly sought Justice Varma’s voluntary resignation as a measure to preserve judicial dignity and avoid the more drastic impeachment process.

Justice Varma, however, refused to resign – a decision that marks a departure from previous cases like Justice Soumitra Sen and Justice P D Dinakaran who chose resignation when faced with similar circumstances. His refusal necessitated escalation to the next stage of accountability mechanisms.

On 9th May 2025, the CJI formally forwarded the committee’s report along with Justice Varma’s response to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recommending the initiation of removal proceedings.

This referral to the constitutional authorities represents the judiciary’s recognition that the matter has crossed the threshold of internal disciplinary action and warrants consideration for the more severe constitutional remedy of impeachment.

The impeachment process involves several stages with the process being initiated in either the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha, and which must be approved by the presiding officer, the Speaker or the Chairman, depending on the house the motion has been taken up. A motion for impeachment is adopted in Parliament only if it is passed by a two-thirds majority in either House.