New Delhi: Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court, who is embroiled in a controversy regarding the alleged recovery of a significant sum of cash at his official residence in New Delhi earlier this year, has contested an in-house inquiry report from a committee established by the Supreme Court that suggested initiating his impeachment.

This development occurred just days before the Monsoon session of Parliament, during which the government was expected to present the impeachment motion against the High Court judge.

In a writ petition submitted to the Supreme Court, Mr. Varma challenged the recommendation made by former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, alleging that the three-member panel formed under his directive reached negative conclusions without providing him a complete and fair hearing, according to sources.

The Supreme Court has declined to disclose the findings of the in-house panel regarding the judge’s cash controversy.

The High Court judge further claimed that the committee did not adequately investigate the fundamental facts, particularly those concerning the alleged cash recovery on March 14, which are essential to substantiate his conviction. He argued that even if cash was discovered in the outhouse, further investigation is required to determine ownership, authenticity, and other relevant details, the sources indicated.

The cash was reportedly discovered following a fire at Justice Varma’s residence in Lutyens Delhi around 11:35 pm on March 14, prompting officials to respond quickly to extinguish the flames. This incident led to several actions, including a preliminary inquiry by Delhi High Court Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and the reassignment of judicial responsibilities from Justice Varma in the Delhi High Court.

On March 24, the Supreme Court collegium recommended that Justice Varma be repatriated to his original High Court.

Two days prior, CJI Khanna established a committee to carry out an internal investigation into the allegations and opted to publish the inquiry report from Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya of the Delhi High Court on the Supreme Court’s website. This report featured images and videos related to the purported discovery of a significant amount of cash.

Justice Varma rejected any implications and asserted that neither he nor any of his family members had ever placed cash in the storeroom.

Last month, the former Chief Justice communicated with President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the report from the panel.

Additionally, last month, senior government officials indicated that a motion to seek Justice Varma’s removal would be introduced during the Monsoon session. Achieving cross-party agreement would be essential, considering the constitutional requirements for the removal (impeachment) of a judge, the officials noted.

The Monsoon session of Parliament is set to commence on July 21.

Historically, only a small number of judges have undergone removal proceedings in the country, with most resigning before the motion could be fully addressed.