Justice Yashwant Varma seeks urgent listing of his plea to quash in-house panel report amid impeachment push

Facing imminent impeachment over the recovery of charred cash from his official residence in Delhi, Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashawant Varma has sought urgent listing of his plea seeking to quash the findings of a Supreme Court-appointed in-house inquiry panel.

Appearing for Justice Varma, senior Advocate Kapil Sibal mentioned the plea before the Supreme Court, seeking urgent listing. “This is in respect of his removal. We’re requesting to list it as early as possible,” Sibal said.

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While recusing himself from the matter, Chief Justice of India BR Gavai Wednesday said that the Supreme Court will assign a separate bench to hear Justice Varma’s plea.

The CJI clarified that the matter may not be listed before him as he was part of the conversation over the Justice Varma controversy.

The development comes amid reports that over 100 Members of Parliament have signed an impeachment motion against Justice Varma.

BJP MP Ajay Bhatt confirmed the ongoing impeachment proceedings, saying, “As per the constitutional process, all MPs have given a letter with their signatures to the Speaker. We will see the results of this soon. This will show how our country does not tolerate corruption.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had also addressed the issue but refrained from commenting on when the motion would be tabled.

“I cannot comment on any business in terms of priority because until or unless the matter is passed by the BAC (Business Advisory Committee) with approval by the Chair, it is difficult for me to make an announcement outside.The signature is underway and it has crossed 100 already,” Rijiju said.

What is Justice Yashwant Varma controversy?

The controversy dates back to March 14, 2025, when a fire at Justice Varma’s official residence in Delhi allegedly led to the discovery of large amounts of unaccounted cash by firefighters.

Justice Varma and his wife were reportedly travelling in Madhya Pradesh at the time, while only his daughter and aged mother were present at home.

Following the incident, a video showing bundles of burnt cash surfaced and was shared by the Delhi Police Commissioner with the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.

While Justice Varma denied having any knowledge about the unaccounted charred cash, the discovery led to allegations of corruption in the judiciary, prompting the Supreme Court to constitute a three-member committee to probe the matter.

Justice Varma, who was posted at the Delhi High Court at the time of the incident, was transferred back to the Allahabad High Court – his parent high court.

Meanwhile, the findings of the three-member committee concluded that there was “strong inferential evidence” of his “covert or active control” over the charred cash found at the storeroom of his Delhi residence.