Fri Jul 18 04:57:29 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and a news article based on the provided text:
**Summary:**
Justice Yashwant Varma, a sitting High Court judge, has approached the Supreme Court to challenge a report recommending his removal from office. The report, compiled by an in-house inquiry committee formed by former Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, concluded that unaccounted cash was found at Justice Varma’s residence following a fire. Justice Varma argues the committee was unconstitutional, its findings were based on inferences, and he wasn’t given a fair hearing. The case is unprecedented, occurring just before a Parliamentary session where a removal motion could be introduced. The inquiry report claims Justice Varma or his family had control over the storeroom where the cash was found, dismissing the judge’s claims of a conspiracy.
**News Article:**
**High Court Judge Challenges Inquiry Report, Faces Removal Threat**
**NEW DELHI – July 18, 2025** – Justice Yashwant Varma, a sitting High Court judge, has filed a plea in the Supreme Court challenging an inquiry report that recommends his removal from office. The report, commissioned by former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, stems from an investigation following a fire at Justice Varma’s official residence in March, where unaccounted cash was allegedly discovered.
The inquiry committee, comprised of Justices Sheel Nagu, G.S. Sandhawalia, and Anu Sivaraman, concluded that Justice Varma or his family members controlled access to the storeroom where the cash was found. Their report, submitted to the President and Prime Minister by CJI Khanna before his retirement, suggested the cash’s presence was “highly suspicious.”
Justice Varma argues the inquiry committee was unconstitutional, its findings based on flawed inferences, and he was denied a fair opportunity to respond to the allegations. He contends key questions regarding the source of the cash and the cause of the fire remain unanswered. He claims the former CJI forwarded the recommendation for his removal shortly after receiving the report, without consulting him.
“Removing Justice Yashwant Varma on the basis of the Supreme Court’s in-house report would be ‘unconstitutional’” quoted Kapil Sibal.
The case is unprecedented, marking the first time a sitting High Court judge has challenged such a report in the Supreme Court. Its timing is also significant, as it comes just before the Monsoon session of Parliament, where a motion to remove Justice Varma could be introduced. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the plea.
First Piper 