Live Updates: Supreme Court Holds Hearing on Justice Yashwant Varma's Petition
Supreme Court Hears Petition Challenging Removal of Justice Yashwant Varma
The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on the petition filed by Justice Yashwant Varma, who is challenging the in-house committee report and the recommendation for his removal as a High Court judge. The hearing took place on July 30, 2025.
Justice Varma's petition contests the recommendation made by former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna for his removal following the discovery of unaccounted cash at his official residence in Delhi during a fire incident in March 2025.
During the hearing, the Court's two-judge bench, comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and AG Masih, expressed concern over the delay in Justice Varma approaching the Court, noting that he acted only after the adverse findings were submitted by the in-house committee. They questioned whether the Court should interfere given that the issue is now primarily before Parliament after the CJI’s recommendation for removal.
Justice Varma's counsel, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, argued that the in-house committee inquiry was flawed because it did not properly examine the source of the cash found and that the inquiry started without any formal complaint. He asked the Court to declare the CJI’s recommendation for removal as unconstitutional and ultra vires.
The Bench referred to precedents such as K Veeraswami and Ravichandran Iyer, which underpin the in-house procedure, and discussed statutory provisions including Section 3(2) of the Judges Protection Act, which allows initiation of in-house procedures and withdrawal of judicial work from a judge.
The in-house committee report, submitted in May 2025, held Justice Varma responsible for “misconduct” and found “strong inferential evidence” of his covert or active control over the cash. The committee started the probe on March 25 and finalised its report on May 3.
Justice Varma has also alleged that "unprecedented" public disclosure of the allegations via a press release by the top court had subjected him to media trial. He has moved the top court against the findings in the report and the recommendation of CJI Khanna, alleging that the invocation of in-house procedure against him was improper and invalid since it was done in absence of any formal complaint.
Justice Datta questioned the legality of the proceedings, stating that they have followed the in-house procedure. He also questioned the validity of the statements made by Nedumpara about the police not acting on his representation. He questioned Sibal about the lack of challenge to the in-house procedure earlier.
Justice Datta stated that whether to proceed or not proceed is a political decision, but the judiciary must send a message that the process has been followed. He also stated that the CJI’s recommendation is not binding, and the Parliament has the power to take a call.
The verdict is awaited, and the matter is also noted to be developing in Parliament.
The Supreme Court is pondering over the constitutional validity of the in-house committee report and the recommendation for Justice Yashwant Varma's removal, in light of politics and general news surrounding crime and justice. This comes as Justice Varma contests the CJI's recommendation for his removal due to the discovery of unaccounted cash at his official residence. In the hearing, concerns have been raised about the delay in Justice Varma approaching the Court and the possibility of media trial. The verdict and Parliament's decision are awaited, adding to the ongoing discussions in the realm of crime and justice.
