By Ira Deshpande
When Parliament was in session this Tuesday, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had more on his agenda than just getting the session started. He accepted a big impeachment motion supported by 146 MPs from both the ruling side and the opposition. The impeachment was ordered against the Justice of the Allahabad High Court, Yashwant Varma. The move comes as an effect of the “cash-at-home” controversy and marks a rare moment in India’s judicial history.
Om Birla didn’t hold back, saying straight out that “the process of removal should begin.” This was a clear sign that the Parliament wants to take a firm action against corruption and reassure the public about the consequences of wrongdoing.
To dig deeper into the case, Birla has put together a three-member panel. On the panel are Supreme Court Justice Aravind Kumar, Madras High Court Chief Justice M.M. Shrivastava, and senior advocate B.V. Acharya of Karnataka.
This panel has the power to connect with witnesses, collect evidence, and get to the bottom of these allegations. Once they finish their work, their report will be submitted to Birla, who will share it with the Lok Sabha. If the findings point to wrongdoing, the next step could be a full impeachment vote in both Houses of Parliament. After that, it would be submitted to the President to decide whether Justice Varma should be removed from office.
The scandal in question broke out in March, when a fire at Varma’s Delhi residence led to the discovery of heaps of burnt and half-burnt cash hidden in a storeroom at his place. The photos and reports shocked the public. It also raised questions about those with judicial responsibilities in the country. Soon after that, an internal Supreme Court panel investigated and found enough evidence to recommend impeachment.