Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 21: In a dramatic and unprecedented move, 145 Members of Parliament from both the ruling and Opposition benches have come together to demand the impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma. The notice, submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday, marks a rare moment of bipartisan consensus in Indian parliamentary history.

The impeachment demand follows the controversial discovery of burnt cash in March from an outhouse attached to Justice Varma’s official residence in Delhi. The judge, currently serving in the Allahabad High Court, has vehemently denied any involvement, calling the allegations against him and his family “preposterous.”

Among the high-profile MPs backing the motion are Rahul Gandhi, Anurag Thakur, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, P.P. Chaudhary, Supriya Sule, and K.C. Venugopal. The signatories cut across party lines, with support coming from the BJP, Congress, TDP, JD(U), JD(S), Janasena Party, AGP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), NCP, and CPI(M), among others.

The notice has been filed under Articles 217 and 218 of the Constitution, which deal with the removal of High Court judges for proven misconduct or incapacity. If allowed to proceed, this case could lead to India's first-ever impeachment of a sitting High Court judge—something that has never occurred in the country's post-independence judicial history.

What the Constitution says

• Article 217 provides the grounds for removal, requiring proven misbehavior or incapacity, and mandates a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament.
• Article 124(4) outlines the process, stating that a judge can only be removed by the President after both Houses pass an address recommending the removal.
• A minimum of 100 Lok Sabha MPs or 50 Rajya Sabha MPs is required to initiate such a motion.

Although impeachment proceedings have been attempted five times in the past—including against former Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra in 2018—none have led to actual removal. This latest case, however, has gathered rare political momentum.

The March incident involving Justice Varma sparked nationwide headlines after bundles of scorched currency notes were found at a property linked to him. Despite his transfer to the Allahabad High Court, the controversy has only intensified, reigniting debates over accountability in the judiciary.

Parliament is now expected to take up the matter under constitutional provisions in what could become a landmark test of judicial integrity and legislative oversight.