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Meet 3-member panel formed to probe charges against Justice Varma
Supreme Court Judge Arvind Kumar, Chief Justice of Madras High Court Manindra Mohan Srivastava, and jurist BV Acharya from Karnataka as the members of the panel
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The Lok Sabha on Tuesday formed a three-member committee to probe the charges against former Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma, setting the stage for his impeachment in Parliament. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla named Supreme Court judge Arvind Kumar, Chief Justice of Madras High Court Manindra Mohan Srivastava, and jurist BV Acharya from Karnataka as the members of the panel.
Here’s a look at the three members
Justice Aravind Kumar
Justice Kumar began his legal career as an advocate in 1987. He spent four years practicing in lower courts and tribunals before moving to high courts. His career progressed with several significant appointments. They include: Additional central government standing counsel at the Karnataka High Court (1999); standing counsel for the Income Tax department for 11 years; member of the regional direct taxes advisory committee (2002), and assistant solicitor general of India (2005).
Before becoming a judge, he also served as a special public prosecutor for the Central Bureau of Investigation. He was a founding member and vice-president of the Lahari Advocates Forum, an organisation dedicated to legal education and training for young advocates.
His judicial career began with his elevation as an additional judge of the Karnataka High Court in 2009, becoming a permanent judge in 2012. After serving for nine years, he was appointed chief justice of the Gujarat High Court in 2017. He was elevated to the Supreme Court of India in February 2023 and is scheduled to retire on July 13, 2027.
Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava
Justice Shrivastava began his legal career in 1987, practicing at the District Court in Raigarh before moving on to the High Courts of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. He was a Standing Counsel for major organisations, including the Income-tax Department and state-level electricity corporations.
In recognition of his legal expertise, he was designated as a senior advocate in 2005. His judicial career began on December 10, 2009, when he was elevated as a judge of the Chhattisgarh High Court. He was then transferred to the Rajasthan High Court in 2021. As the senior-most judge, he was appointed the acting Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court in August 2022 and was appointed as the Chief Justice in February 2024. Last month, he took over as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
Senior advocate BV Acharya
Acharya is a prominent figure at the Karnataka High Court, known for his extensive legal career and significant contributions. Acharya was enrolled as an advocate in 1957 and initially practiced in Mangalore before moving his practice to the Karnataka High Court in Bangalore in 1972.
Throughout his career, he has held several key positions, including serving as the advocate general of Karnataka five times between 1989 and 2012. He was designated as a senior advocate by the Karnataka High Court in 1989. His most notable role on the national stage was as the special public prosecutor in the disproportionate assets case against former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
In addition to his courtroom work, Acharya has been a member of the 19th Law Commission of India. His long and distinguished service to the legal field was recognised with an honorary doctorate from Mangalore University in 2009. At 88, he remains in active practice and serves as the president of the Karnataka section of the International Commission of Jurists.
