Supreme Court Deals Major Blow to Justice Yashwant Verma, Rejects Plea Against Impeachment

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the writ petition filed by Justice Yashwant Verma challenging the formation of an inquiry committee under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, in connection with the impeachment motion against him.

Justice Verma’s petition sought to contest the Lok Sabha Speaker’s decision to constitute the committee following an impeachment notice filed after cash was recovered from his official residence.

After hearing the arguments from senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi on behalf of Justice Verma and Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta representing the Lok Sabha Secretariat on 8 January, the bench reserved its verdict. Today, a bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra pronounced the decision, refusing to interfere with the Speaker’s decision. This clears the way for further investigation under the impeachment process.

Bench Rejects Justice Verma’s Arguments
The bench disagreed with Justice Verma’s claim that the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha does not have the authority to reject a motion. Justice Verma had argued that under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, only the Speaker and the Chairman have the exclusive power to accept or reject any motion against a judge. The court rejected this contention.

Background of the Case
The impeachment notice against Justice Verma followed the discovery of bundles of burnt currency at his official residence in New Delhi on 14 March, after which he was transferred from Delhi High Court to Allahabad High Court. The motion for impeachment was pushed by members from both the ruling and opposition parties.

With the Supreme Court’s decision, the inquiry under the Judges (Inquiry) Act can now proceed unhindered, marking a significant development in the ongoing proceedings against Justice Yashwant Verma.