Justice Varma impeachment: Speaker Birla likely to announce inquiry committee to probe charges, says report

High Court judge Yashwant Varma

An inquiry committee to examine the allegations against Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma is likely to be announced soon by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, news agency PTI reported citing official sources.

This follows the submission of a notice to Birla signed by 152 Members of Parliament (MPs) on July 21, calling for an investigation into the grounds for Justice Varma’s potential removal. The notice, which now happens to be a “property of the House”, has triggered formal consultations to set-up a three-member inquiry committee -- which will include either the Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court judge, a high court chief justice and a distinguished jurist.

The Upper House or Rajya Sabha is also involved in the process, as a similar notice signed by 63 opposition MPs was submitted to then Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on the same day.

As part of the process, the Chair is expected to write to the CJI, seeking his recommendation of the two judges, while the choice of the distinguished jurist is his prerogative.

Post the submission of notices in both the houses, home minister Amit Shah, leader of the house in Rajya Sabha JP Nadda, Speaker Birla and Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh, who is now in charge after Dhankhar's resignation, have been part of deliberations over the future course of action, according to the PTI report.

Dhankhar had cited the Judges (Inquiry) Act in the Rajya Sabha on Monday to assert that when notices of a motion are submitted on the same day in both the Houses of Parliament, a committee to examine the charges levelled against the judge will be constituted by the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Chairman.

Dhankhar resigned as the Vice President on Monday citing health reasons in an unexpected move. His resignation was later accepted by President Droupadi Murmu.