LS Speaker Om Birla reconstitutes panel to probe grounds for removal of Justice Yashwant Varma
According to the official Lok Sabha notification, the reconstituted panel will come into effect from March 6, 2026.
The committee was first formed in March last year following demands for Justice Varma’s removal after the discovery of burnt bundles of money at his home sparked widespread concern and calls for an investigation.
According to the notification, the reconstituted committee comprises Justice Arvind Kumar, Judge of the Supreme Court of India, Justice Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice, Bombay High Court, BV Acharya, Senior Advocate, Karnataka High Court.
Justice Arvind Kumar and BV Acharya were members of the previous panel, while Justice Chandrashekhar was appointed as the new member. He replaced Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
The panel will continue to review the allegations and circumstances that led to the requests for Judge Varma’s removal. The committee is expected to examine the evidence and present its findings under the prescribed parliamentary process.
The case relates to the recovery of unaccounted and partially burnt money from the official residence of Justice Varma, who was then a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court. Following the internal investigation, former CJI Sanjiv Khanna forwarded a recommendation to the President and Prime Minister of India to initiate the procedure for his removal. Subsequently, a motion to impeach Justice Varma was introduced in both Houses of Parliament on 21 July 2025.
On August 12, 2025, the Lok Sabha Speaker constituted a three-member Inquiry Committee to investigate the allegations against Justice Varma. The Lok Sabha Speaker’s decision came after he received notice of the motion signed by 146 Members of Parliament seeking the removal of Justice Yashwant Varma.
