Justice Yashwant Varma has challenged the in-house committee report in the Supreme Court, which found him guilty in the cash-for-favors scandal. The CJI has decided to form a separate bench for an early hearing.
Justice Yashwant Varma Case: Justice Yashwant Varma, a judge of the Allahabad High Court, has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the inquiry report against him. This report found him guilty of misconduct in the alleged cash-for-favors scandal. Considering the seriousness of the matter, he has requested an expedited hearing.
Appeal for Expedited Hearing in the Supreme Court
Justice Varma has urged the Supreme Court to hear this petition quickly. He argues that the matter is of utmost seriousness and of a constitutional nature. His lawyer, Kapil Sibal, raised the issue before Chief Justice (CJI) B.R. Gavai in the Supreme Court. He argued that the petition raises several constitutional questions directly related to the independence and impartiality of the judiciary.
Chief Justice Agrees
CJI B.R. Gavai, agreeing to Kapil Sibal's appeal, stated that he would constitute a special bench to hear the case. He made this announcement in the Supreme Court, in the presence of Justices Vinod Chandran and Joymalya Bagchi.
Purpose of the Petition: Challenging the Inquiry Report and Impeachment Recommendation
The objective of Justice Varma's petition is to have the recommendation made by the then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Sanjeev Khanna, to initiate impeachment proceedings against him in Parliament, revoked. This recommendation was based on a report by an in-house inquiry committee that found Justice Varma guilty.
Inquiry Committee's Process and Findings
The in-house inquiry committee was formed under the chairmanship of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The committee investigated the matter for 10 days. During the investigation, 55 witnesses were questioned, and the site where the alleged cash-for-favors incident occurred was visited.
The incident occurred on the night of March 14 at approximately 11:35 PM, when Justice Varma was posted in the Delhi High Court, and a fire suddenly broke out at his official residence. Following the fire, it was reported that a large amount of cash was recovered from the scene.
Serious Allegations in the Report
The inquiry committee's report stated that Justice Varma's conduct was suspicious. Taking the recovery of cash from his official residence and the fire incident seriously, the committee found him guilty. Based on this, the Supreme Court recommended that Parliament initiate impeachment proceedings against him.
Justice Varma's Petition in the Supreme Court
Currently, Justice Varma is serving in the Allahabad High Court. He has approached the Supreme Court and challenged the inquiry process and its findings in his petition. He claims that the investigation process was biased and has caused severe damage to his reputation.
