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‘Test of collective commitment’: CPI seeks support for impeachment of HC judge
Rajya Sabha member Sandosh Kumar P has expressed concerns over the “recovery of large sums of unaccounted cash from the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi High Court”
The Communist Party of India (CPI) has written to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, and other opposition leaders, seeking their support for the impeachment of Justice Yashwant Verma over allegations of a cash haul from his residence in March this year.
In a letter to the opposition leaders, Rajya Sabha member Sandosh Kumar P has expressed concerns over the “recovery of large sums of unaccounted cash from the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi High Court” and pointed out that the incident has “cast a deep shadow on the judiciary and shaken the faith of common citizens in one of the most vital pillars of our democracy.”
“If these allegations are substantiated, they point to a severe breach of public trust and judicial propriety,” he said.
The Union government is also considering moving a motion for the impeachment of Justice Varma in the upcoming monsoon session.
“In this light, I urge your esteemed party to take a principled stand and extend support for the initiation of an impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Varma under the provisions of the Constitution. This is not merely a legal or procedural question—it is a test of our collective commitment to uphold the moral sanctity of our constitutional framework,” the CPI lawmaker said.
Asserting that Parliament must not remain a passive observer to such serious questions of judicial integrity, he said the Houses must act as the conscience-keeper of the Republic.
“The time has come to seriously examine how our judicial system can be made more transparent, more inclusive, and more answerable to the people. The current opacity surrounding judicial appointments must give way to a process that reflects the democratic values we espouse,” he said.
The reported discovery of a large amount of cash at high court judge Yashwant Varma’s official residence in New Delhi on March 14 sparked outrage. The recovery led to calls for judicial accountability and a rethink of how judges to the higher judiciary are appointed, particularly against the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s striking down as unconstitutional of the National Judicial Appointments Commission in 2015, saying judiciary cannot risk being caught in a “web of indebtedness” towards the government.
