Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday announced a three-member panel to probe allegations against high court judge Justice Yashwant Varma, at whose residence a large sum of burned and partially burned cash was found after firefighters fought a blaze in March this year.
The fire broke out at Yashwant Varma's residence on March 14, when he was a Delhi high court judge.
The three-member panel includes Justice Aravind Kumar of the Supreme Court, Madras high court chief justice Maninder Mohan and senior advocate BV Acharaya.
The Supreme Court last week dismissed Allahabad high court judge Yashwant Varma's plea for invalidating a report of an SC-appointed in-house inquiry panel, which found him guilty of misconduct.
{{/usCountry}}The Supreme Court last week dismissed Allahabad high court judge Yashwant Varma's plea for invalidating a report of an SC-appointed in-house inquiry panel, which found him guilty of misconduct.
{{/usCountry}}On March 21, the chief justice of India (CJI) had asked for the reply of Justice Varma in writing.
The next day, Justice Yashwant Varma responded, trashing the allegations. CJI Sanjiv Khanna then constituted a three-member committee to inquire into allegations against Justice Varma. SC uploaded on its website an in-house inquiry report, including photos and videos related to the case.
On July 30, the Supreme Court rapped Justice Yashwant Varma, saying that his conduct did not inspire confidence and also defended the CJI’s authority to act on any judicial misconduct saying he cannot be merely a "post office” but has certain duties to the nation.
‘XXX v. The Union of India’
The top court was hearing Justice Varma's plea, which does not reveal his identity and is titled 'XXX v. The Union of India, that sought invalidation of a report by an in-house inquiry panel which found him guilty of misconduct in the cash discovery matter.
The Supreme Court had also asked Justice Varma why he chose to move the apex court after an in-house committee found him guilty of misconduct in the cash discovery row.
Posing sharp questions to the judge, the top court asked Justice Varma why he appeared before the in-house inquiry committee and did not challenge it then and there.
It told Justice Varma that he should have come earlier to the apex court against the panel's report.