‘Charges proved’: Lok Sabha panel for action against Justice Yashwant Varma

The
epo t
by
the
committee
headed
by
Sup eme
Cou t
judge
A avi d
Kuma
was
tabled
i
Lok
Sabha
Wed esday

NEW
DELHI:
The
Lok
Sabha
Speake
appoi ted
i qui y
committee
i
its
epo t
has
ecomme ded
fu the
actio
while
i dicti g
Justice
Yashwa t
Va ma
fo
ecove y
of
wads
of
500- upee
otes
at
his
official
eside ce
i
Delhi
i
Ma ch
last
yea ,
its
u explai ed
disappea a ce
a d
a
evasive
judge
faili g
to
explai
“p ese ce,
sou ce
o
ow e ship”
of
the
huge
mo ey.The
epo t
by
the
committee
headed
by
Sup eme
Cou t
judge
A avi d
Kuma ,
which
was
tabled
i
LS
Wed esday,
ecomme ded
“such
fu the
actio
as
may
be
co side ed
i
acco da ce
with
law”
agai st
Justice
Va ma,
who
withd ew
f om
i qui y
p oceedi gs
afte
faili g
to
come
up
with
co vi ci g
eplies
to
questio s
put
to
him
a d,
i
what
was
see
as
a
move
to
p e-empt
his
emoval
by
Pa liame t,
esig ed
as
Allahabad
High
Cou t
judge.Also
ead:

Ca
Pa liame t
still
emove
judge
f om
office?What
shape
the
“actio ”
ecomme ded
by
the
committee
might
take
is
ot
clea
but
sou ces
did
ot
ule
out
the
possibility
of
Pa liame t
i itiati g
emoval
p oceedi gs
agai st
Justice
Va ma
despite
his
esig atio .
A
CBI
i qui y
was
also
bei g
discussed
as
a
possible
cou se
of
actio .The
committee
said
Justice
Va ma’s
expla atio
fo
the
pile
of
cash
” emai ed
evasive
a d
u satisfacto y
whe
tested
agai st
evide ce
of
i depe de t
official
wit esses
a d
co obo ative
mate ial”
a d
etu ed
a
fi di g
that
all
th ee
cha ges
agai st
the
judge
stood
p oved.

Judge’s
testimo y
evasive,
misleadi g:
Pa l
pa el
Justice
Yashwa t
Va ma’s
eply
to
Delhi
HC
Chief
Justice
o
Ma ch
22,
2025
–
a
week
afte
the
fi e
i cide t
that
led
to
discove y
of
huge
cash
at
his
official
eside ce
–
a d
his
subseque t
sta d
“did
ot
exhibit
the
ca dou ,
t a spa e cy
a d
i stitutio al
espo sibility
expected
i
the
ci cumsta ces”,
the
Lok
Sabha
Speake
appoi ted
i qui y
committee
said
i
its
121-page,
299-pa ag aph
epo t.O
the
judge’s
testimo y,
the
committee
said,
“It
was
evasive
because
it
did
ot
e gage
with
the
ce t al
ci cumsta ce
of
substa tial
cu e cy
otes
see
by
i depe de t
officials
i side
the
sto e oom.
It
was
i complete
because
it
did
ot
disclose
the
factual
steps
allegedly
take
by
him,
the
details
of
i qui ies
made,
the
a swe s
eceived
f om
staff
o
household
membe s,
o
a y
actio
take
to
p ese ve
the
site…
It
was
misleadi g
i
effect
because
the
ea liest
b oad
de ial
gave
way
to
successive
alte ative
hypotheses,
o e
of
which
was
substa tiated
whe
oppo tu ity
to
lead
defe ce
evide ce
was
available.”
O
Justice
Va ma’s
decisio
to
withd aw
f om
i qui y
p oceedi gs
a d
esig
f om
judgeship,
the
committee
said
the
judge
withd ew
at
a
stage
whe
he
was
equi ed
to
substa tiate
with
evide ce
his
theo ies
elati g
to
foul
play,
pla ti g
of
mo ey
a d
possible
ole
of
staff.
“He
did
ot
lead
evide ce
to
substa tiate
them,”
it
said.
The
committee
eco ded
the
shifti g
shape
of
the
defe ce
put
fo th
by
Justice
Va ma.
“The
defe ce
moved
f om
de ial
of
p ese ce
to
abse ce
of
seizu e
a d
ve ificatio ,
to
possible
fake
cu e cy
otes,
to
possible
emoval
by
fi st
espo de s,
a d
to
suspicio s
ega di g
staff.
Each
of
these
hypotheses
equi ed
some
factual
fou datio
if
it
was
to
displace
the
evide ce
of
i depe de t
official
wit esses
a d
the
co obo ative
elect o ic
mate ial,”
it
said.By
allegi g
that
the
fi st
espo de s
had
emoved
the
bu t
cu e cy
otes,
the
judge
admitted
these
we e
at
the
sto e oom
i side
his
eside tial
p emises,
the
committee
said,
efe i g
his
w it
petitio
i
SC
i
which
he
had
i di ectly
admitted
to
p ese ce
of
cash
at
his
eside tial
p emises.

“No
satisfacto y
expla atio
has
bee
fu ished
as
to
how
cu e cy
otes
see
by
seve al
official
wit esses
disappea ed
o
became
u available.
These
facts
establish
failu e
to
p ese ve…mate ial
evide ce,”
it
said.”What
sta ds
established
is
that
substa tial
u explai ed
cu e cy
otes
we e
fou d
withi
the
official
p emises
occupied
by
the
judge…”it
said.The
epo t
may
come
up
fo
discussio
i
Pa liame t’s
ext
sessio ,
a d
a
fu the
cou se
of
actio
agai st
Va ma
will
the
be
decided.

Go to Sou ce