The Lok Sabha has approved a motion to impeach Justice Yashwant Verma of the Allahabad High Court. A three-member committee has been formed to investigate the allegations against Verma. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla made the announcement on Tuesday.
Last week, the Supreme Court dismissed Verma's petition seeking to invalidate a report by an inquiry panel appointed by the Chief Justice. This report found Verma guilty of misconduct.
On March 21, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) had sought a written response from Justice Verma. The following day, in his response, Verma stated that the allegations against him were baseless.
Following this, the Chief Justice formed a three-member panel to thoroughly investigate the case. After the investigation, the panel submitted its internal report to the Supreme Court.
Based on this report, former Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna recommended to the central government that impeachment proceedings be initiated against Verma to remove him from his post.
Justice Verma challenged this recommendation in the Supreme Court, but his appeal was unsuccessful. The Lok Sabha has now taken cognizance of the matter and formed a three-member committee for investigation.
Justice Yashwant Verma of the Allahabad High Court has been embroiled in controversy for some time. On March 14, ₹15 crore was recovered from his official residence, sparking widespread outrage across the country.
Justice Verma was born in Allahabad. He obtained a B.Com degree from Hansraj College, Delhi University, and an LLB from Rewa University, Madhya Pradesh. He became a lawyer in 1992.
Justice Verma was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Allahabad High Court on October 13, 2014, and became a permanent judge in 2016. He was appointed as a judge of the Delhi High Court in 2021 but was subsequently transferred back to the Allahabad High Court following the recovery of cash from his residence.
