The central government is preparing to bring impeachment motion against the Allahabad High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Verma in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has started the process of agreeing with all political parties on the issue. The move has been taken after Justice Verma’s allegations of huge amount of burnt cash after the fire incident at the official residence in Delhi, which was investigated by a three -member committee of the Supreme Court and confirmed serious allegations against him.
Rijiju said that this case of corruption in the judiciary cannot be seen with “political glasses”. He has appealed to all parties to jointly support the proposal. According to sources, Rijiju on Tuesday spoke to prominent opposition leaders including Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. The Congress has indicated that it will not oppose the move. The government is also contacting small parties so that this proposal, for which a two-thirds majority is needed in both houses of Parliament can be easily passed.
The dispute began when on 14 March 2025, a fire broke out at Justice Verma’s residence in Delhi, and emergency services recovered piles of burnt cash from there. The Supreme Court Committee, including Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court GS. Sandhwalia, and Karnataka High Court Judge Anu Shivraman, found serious irregularities in the case. The then Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna asked Justice Verma to resign, but after his refusal, Khanna recommended the impeachment to President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi by sending an inquiry report and Verma’s response.
The Allahabad High Court Bar Association has welcomed the move, describing it as a step to restore confidence in the judiciary. If this proposal is passed, it will be the first successful impeachment against a High Court judge in India.
