New Delhi, July 24: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is likely to announce the formation of a three-member inquiry committee to investigate charges against Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court, official sources said, amid ongoing deliberations involving top parliamentary leaders and ministers.
The move follows a notice for removal proceedings signed by 152 Members of Parliament, submitted to the Speaker on July 21. A similar notice, backed by 63 Opposition MPs, had also been submitted to then Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on the same day. With both notices in play, sources said the matter has now become a “property of the House”, triggering the formal process under the Judges (Inquiry) Act.
According to sources, consultations have begun on the composition of the three-member committee, which will include:
- The Chief Justice of India or a sitting Supreme Court judge,
- A Chief Justice of a High Court, and
- A distinguished jurist to be nominated by the Speaker.
Speaker Birla is expected to write to the Chief Justice of India soon, seeking his recommendation for the two judicial nominees. The selection of the jurist will be at the Speaker’s discretion.
Since the notices were received, key figures including Home Minister Amit Shah, Rajya Sabha Leader of the House JP Nadda, Speaker Birla, and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh have been in closed-door discussions to chart the next course of action.
In a significant development earlier this week, former Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned, citing health concerns. However, political observers saw his exit as fallout from the government’s reported displeasure over his handling of the Opposition’s notice in the Upper House, particularly his public reference to it despite a bipartisan notice already submitted to the Lok Sabha.
An Opposition MP who signed the Rajya Sabha notice said, “We have not been told anything so far. It is now up to the Chair to decide on its fate.”
Under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, the committee is empowered to probe the grounds for the judge’s removal and submit its findings. The outcome of this inquiry could determine whether Parliament proceeds to vote on the motion for Justice Varma’s removal — a rare and serious constitutional process.
