The Central government is working to constitute a committee to probe allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma in the alleged burnt cash recovery case, government sources said on Wednesday, 23 July. Sources had indicated that the proposed committee may include a Supreme Court judge, a Chief Justice from a High Court, and a noted jurist.

The talks on formation of a committee came after Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju mentioned that over 100 MPs have signed calling for the impeachment process against Justice Varma.

“The signature (collection) is underway, and it has crossed 100 already,” Kiren Rijiju said.

When asked if the issue of Justice Yashwant Varma and cash recovery would also be taken up in the monsoon session, Kiren Rijiju said, “In the Justice Varma case, the process will be undertaken together by all parties. This is not the move by the government alone.”

“I can’t comment on any business in terms of priority until and unless the matter is passed by the BAC [Business Advisory Committee] with the approval of the chair. It is difficult to make an announcement outside,” he added.

On Monday, Members of Parliament submitted a memorandum to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to remove High Court Justice Yashwant Varma in connection with the cash discovery row.

According to reports, as many as 145 Lok Sabha members—including MPs Anurag Singh Thakur, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, PP Chaudhary, Supriya Sule, and KC Venugopal—have signed the impeachment motion against Justice Varma under Articles 124, 217, and 218 of the Constitution.

MPs from various parties, including Congress, TDP, JDU, JDS, Jan Sena Party, AGP, SS (Shinde), LJSP, SKP, CPM, etc., signed the memorandum.

THE CASH RECOVERY CASE The alleged cash discovery happened on the night of Holi, 14 March, when a fire broke out in the storeroom of Yashwant Varma’s Lutyens’ Delhi residence around 11.35 PM. Several pictures of the burnt cash surfaced on social media.

In his response, Justice Varma ‘unequivocally’ denied the allegations against him, terming them as “totally preposterous”.

“I state unequivocally that no cash was ever placed in that storeroom either by me or any of my family members and strongly denounce the suggestion that the alleged cash belonged to us. The very idea or suggestion that this cash was kept or stored by us is totally preposterous,” Justice Varma said.

He said, “The suggestion that one would store cash in an open, freely accessible and commonly used storeroom near the staff quarters or in an outhouse verges on the incredible and incredulous.”

He was subsequently transferred to Allahabad High Court.