MPs Move Motion to Remove Justice Yashwant Varma

On 21st July 2025, over 200 Members of Parliament submitted notices in both Houses seeking the removal of Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court, following allegations linked to a cash seizure during a fire incident at his residence.

Key Points:

Background: Justice Varma, a former Delhi High Court judge, is under scrutiny after a Supreme Court-appointed panel found substance in allegations that wads of currency were found at his residence during a fire on March 14.
Motion Details: 145 Lok Sabha MPs and 63 Rajya Sabha MPs submitted notices to initiate removal proceedings under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.
Eligibility Criteria: The Act requires signatures of at least 100 Lok Sabha and 50 Rajya Sabha members to move such a motion.
Next Steps: The presiding officers of both Houses must admit the motion; if accepted, a three-member inquiry committee (two judges and a jurist) will be formed.
Rajya Sabha Chairman’s Statement: Jagdeep Dhankhar confirmed receipt of a valid motion under Article 217(1B) and Article 124(4) of the Constitution, meeting the numerical threshold.
Simultaneous Motion Rule: Under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, if motions are submitted in both Houses on the same day, no inquiry committee shall be constituted unless the motion is admitted in both Houses.
Related Motion: A prior motion for the removal of Justice Shekhar Yadav was submitted in December 2024 but has not yet progressed.