 "Will Justice Varma be impeached in cash-at-home case?")
Will Allahabad High court judge Justice Yashwant Varma be impeached?
Varma has been in hot water since a large amount of burnt cash was recovered from his official residence in the National Capital after a fire in March.
Now there are reports that the union government may be considering impeaching Varma.
Varma has claimed he is innocent.
But what happened? What do we know? Will Varma be impeached?
Let’s take a closer look
What happened?
According to NDTV, the Centre may be considering impeaching Varma.
Sources added that the impeachment motion may be brought in the next session of Parliament – which begins in the second half of July.
Sources said this step will be taken if Varma continues to refuse to resign.
As per India Today, Varma earlier in May declined to resign as a high court judge.
This despite a report from a Supreme Court-appointed panel that cash was indeed found at the house of Varma during a fire on the night of March 14.
The committee, which was constituted by the CJI on March 22, in its report said Varma was not able to explain the source of the money.
As per The Times of India, the committee comprised Chief Justices Sheel Nagu of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, GS Sandhawalia of the Himachal Pradesh High Court and Justice Anu Sivaraman of the Karnataka High Court.
The panel reportedly examined evidence and recorded statements from over four dozen individual.
This included the Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora and the chief of Delhi Fire Services –, both of whom responded to the fire on March 14
The panel finalised its report on May 3 – the findings of which have not been made public.
As per India Today, the report claimed that several stacks of burnt notes, as high as 1.5 feet, were found scattered across the storeroom of Varma’s residence in New Delhi.
The report said Varma only issued a flat denial that the money belonged to him.
Varma claimed that there was a conspiracy against him.
“The factum of the burnt cash having been found in the store room was undeniably established and, therefore, the burden shifted upon Justice Varma to account for the said cash by giving a plausible explanation which he failed to do except projecting a case of flat denial and raising a plea of conspiracy,” the report stated.
It said the accusations against Varma were serious enough to consider impeachment.
The report was sent to Varma on the orders of the then Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna. Varma had been given two days to respond.
Varma in the aftermath of the incident was transferred to the Allahabad High Court.
However, he has not been given any work in keeping with the directive from the Supreme Court.
Varma was previously a judge of the Delhi High Court.
Will Varma be impeached?
It certainly looks that way.
As per NDTV, Varma had refused to resign despite a hint from Khanna to do so.
According to The Times of India, Khanna had urged Varma to do so based on the principles of natural justice.
However, after Varma refused Khanna had then reportedly recommended that he be impeached.
According to PTI sources, Khanna had submitted the report of the three-member inquiry committee, along with Justice Varma’s response, to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This action is in line with in house procedures.
“In accordance with the in-house procedure, the Chief Justice of India has written to the President and the Prime Minister of India, enclosing the committee’s report dated May 3 and Justice Yashwant Varma’s response dated May 6,” the Supreme Court said in a statement, as per The Times of India.
A source told NDTV that no formal action against Khanna has been initiated yet.
Indian Express reported that the president has sent the recommendation to the Rajya Sabha Chairman and the Lok Sabha Speaker.
“We will bring the motion in the upcoming session. We will ask both the Rajya Sabha Chairman and the Lok Sabha Speaker to take the sense of the House,” said a source.
An impeachment motion needs to be backed by at least 100 members in the Lower House and 50 members in the Upper House.
More than two-thirds of the majority in both houses must approve the impeachment motion.
Sources told NDTV added that the government plans to take the opposition into its confidence regarding any action against Varma.
The judge has faced heavily criticism from parties across the political spectrum.
“A final decision on the matter will be taken soon. It is difficult to ignore such a visible scandal,” a source said.
An impeachment motion could be brought in either House of Parliament.
Sources said the government would like support from all political parties.
The opposition would be consulted about the draft of the impeachment motion, which would be contain the findings of the committee.
Indian Express reported that Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will likely begin reaching out to opposition leaders imminently.
“This exercise will begin soon,” said a source.
With inputs from agencies
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