Cash haul row: Jolt to Justice Yashwant Varma as SC dismisses plea against parliamentary panel

New Delhi: In a big setback to Allahabad High Court Justice Yashwant Varma, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed his petition challenging the legality of the parliamentary panel probing the cash haul case involving him and the Lok Sabha Speaker's decision to admit a motion to remove him. The bench of justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra rejected his plea.

Justice Varma found himself in the middle of controversy after unaccounted cash was recovered from his official residence in Delhi last year. He was repatriated from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court after burnt wads of currency notes were found at his house on March 14, 2025. He refuted corruption charges against him and denied any link to the cash.

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SC examined Justice Varma's plea

Last month, the top court had decided to examine his petition challenging the action of the Lok Sabha Speaker to "unilaterally" constitute a committee under the Judges (Inquiry) Act to investigate him. Justice Varma had contended that under Section 3(2) of the 1968 Act, the constitution of the committee violated both his right to be treated and protected equally by the law.

SC in-house panel recommended Justice Varma's removal

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Earlier, the apex court had formed an in-house panel that recommended Justice Varma's impeachment. Then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna had sent the panel's report to the President and Prime Minister with the same recommendation. Justice Varma later moved the SC challenging the panel's recommendation. In his write petition, he questioned the authority and jurisdiction of the in-house panel to investigate a sitting judge.

 The Supreme Court in August rejected his plea seeking invalidation of the in-house inquiry panel, saying that Justice Varma's conduct does not inspire confidence and that his plea should not be entertained.