Lok Sabha Speaker engages two lawyers for advice on impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has formally engaged advocates Rohan Singh and Sameeksha Dua as consultants to assist the committee formed to investigate Allahabad High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma.

On August 12, the Speaker initiated the process to impeach Justice Varma from his position as a High Court judge with the formation of a committee to investigate the discovery of cash at Justice Varma's official residence when he was a judge of the Delhi High Court.

An in-house committee constituted by the Supreme Court had earlier indicted the judge and recommended his removal.

While the Supreme Court can suggest or recommend action against sitting judges, the power to impeach them lies with the parliament.

The Central government then moved a motion in the parliament to impeach the judge, who is presently posted at Allahabad High Court.

The motion signed by 146 Members of Parliament was accepted by the Speaker. In accordance with the Judges (Inquiry) Act, Lok Sabha Speaker then constituted a committee to probe the incident comprising Justice Supreme Court judge Aravind Kumar, Madras High Court Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Senior Advocate B Vasudeva Acharya.

According to an order dated September 19 issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, advocate Rohan Singh and Sameeksha Dua have been engaged to assist this committee in assessing the grounds on which Justice Varma's removal from judgeship is being contemplated.

The allegations against Justice Varma surfaced after a fire at Justice Varma's house on the evening of March 14 had allegedly led to the recovery of unaccounted cash by the fire fighters. 

The incident led to allegations of corruption against Justice Varma, who denied the accusations and said that it appeared to be a conspiracy to frame him.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna (who has since retired) then initiated an in-house probe into the allegations and set up the three-member committee on March 22 to conduct the inquiry.

The report indicted Justice Varma.

The CJI on receiving the report of the in-house committee, asked Justice Varma to resign or face impeachment proceedings. However, since Justice Varma declined to quit, CJI Khanna forwarded the report to the President of India and the Prime Minister for removal of the judge.

Meanwhile, Justice Varma was sent back to his parent High Court from the Delhi High Court and his judicial work was taken away while further action is awaited.

On August 7, the Supreme Court, on the judicial side, dismissed Justice Varma's petition against the in-house committee report and CJI Khanna's recommendation for his removal.