Archive · 17 Jan 2026
Supreme Court Dismisses Justice Varma's Challenge to Impeachment Process
Justice Yashwant Varma, a judge, was accused of corruption after a fire at his house where a lot of money was found.
He was asked to resign or face impeachment.
He challenged the process in the Supreme Court, but the court said the parliamentary committee can continue its investigation.
Justice Varma says he wasn't there when the fire happened and the money wasn't found in his presence.
The committee will now continue its probe.
The Supreme Court also said that the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman can act in the absence of the Chairman, and the Lok Sabha Speaker can proceed independently if the Rajya Sabha rejects a motion.
The in-house inquiry committee found Justice Varma guilty of misconduct, and the then Chief Justice of India recommended his removal.
The Supreme Court dismissed Justice Yashwant Varma's challenge to a parliamentary committee investigating corruption allegations against him.
The court ruled that the Lok Sabha Speaker was entitled to proceed independently with the impeachment process after the Rajya Sabha rejected a similar motion.
Justice Varma argued that the Speaker's action was procedurally flawed, but the court disagreed, stating that the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman can act in the absence of the Chairman.
The corruption allegations arose after a fire at Justice Varma's residence where unaccounted cash was reportedly recovered.
The parliamentary committee, including Supreme Court judge Justice Aravind Kumar, will continue its investigation, and an in-house inquiry committee had already found Justice Varma guilty of misconduct.
- Who
- Justice Yashwant Varma, a judge of the Allahabad High Court
- What
- The Supreme Court dismissed his challenge to a parliamentary committee investigating corruption allegations against him
- When
- January 16, 2026
- Where
- India
- Why
- The court ruled that the Lok Sabha Speaker was entitled to proceed independently with the impeachment process after the Rajya Sabha rejected a similar motion
- Date of Supreme Court Decision
- January 16, 2026
- Petitioner
- Justice Yashwant Varma
- Supreme Court Bench
- Justices Dipankar Datta and SC Sharma
- Parliamentary Committee Members
- Justice Aravind Kumar, Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, and Senior Advocate B V Acharya
- Incident Date
- March 14, 2025
- Impeachment Motion Admitted By
- Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla
- Rajya Sabha Motion Rejection Date
- August 11, 2025
- In-House Inquiry Committee Members
- Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice G S Sandhawalia, and Justice Anu Sivaraman
- In-House Inquiry Report Date
- May 4, 2025
Sources
Supreme Court Rejects Justice Yashwant Varma’s Challenge To Parliamentary Probe In Cash Case
Supreme Court rejects Justice Yashwant Varma’s challenge to parliamentary probe panel’s validity
Supreme Court Clears Way For Justice Yashwant Varma's Impeachment Process In Cash-At-Home Scandal
SC rejects plea of Justice Varma challenging legality of Parliamentary panel probing corruption charges against him
Supreme Court Dismisses Justice Varma's Plea Against Parliamentary Probe
Big Supreme Court Setback For Justice Yashwant Varma Over Parliamentary Panel
SC rejects Justice Varma’s plea challenging impeachment proceedings over cash discovery allegations
Cash row: SC junks Justice Varma's plea against parliamentary probe
SC rejects Justice Varma’s plea challenging impeachment proceedings over cash discovery allegations
Unaccounted cash row: SC rejects Justice Varma’s plea against impeachment inquiry panel
SC rejects Justice Yashwant Varma’s plea, says law can’t be used to scuttle parliamentary process
No Relief For Justice Yashwant Varma As Supreme Court Upholds Impeachment Process
