Over 200 MPs seek removal of Justice Yashwant Varma, opposition supports impeachment

The Parliament of India began with its monsoon session today. More than 200 MPs have come together to submit a draft notice to start the impeachment process against Justice Yashwant Varma. These include 63 opposition MPs in the Rajya Sabha. The memorandum in Lok Sabha was signed by 145 MPs. 

Today 63 Rajya Sabha MPs belonging to various Opposition parties submitted a notice of motion to the Chairman, Rajya Sabha, for the removal of Justice Yashwant Varma under the Judges Inquiry Act, 1968. A similar motion for the removal of Justice Shekhar Yadav had been submitted…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) July 21, 2025

This demand to seek removal of Justice Yashwant Varma is based on Articles 124, 217, and 218 of the Constitution of India. This has come after the discovery of large amounts of burnt cash at his residence in March this year. 

Members of Parliament today submitted a memorandum to the Lok Sabha Speaker to remove Justice Yashwant Varma. 145 Lok Sabha members signed the impeachment motion against Justice Verma under Articles 124, 217, and 218 of the Constitution.

MPs from various parties, including… pic.twitter.com/6YTB8Kqse8

— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2025

The motion passed in Lok Sabha was signed by MPs from various parties, including Congress, TDP, JDU, JDS, Jan Sena, AGP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), LJSP, SKP, CPM, among others. Other notable figures among the signatories are Rahul Gandhi, Ravishankar Prasad, Anurag Thakur, Supriya Sule, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, KC Venugopal, and PP Chaudhary. 

Earlier on Sunday, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju had informed that over 100 MPs had already signed the impeachment proposal against Justice Varma. He had confirmed that more signatories were being added. 

On Monday, the Supreme Court had declined to urgently list a petition seeking an FIR against Justice Varma. 

Judge cash recovery row

The controversy began in March this year when a fire broke out in the outhouse of Justice Varma's residence in Delhi. Amid the fire, a large sum of burnt bundles of cash was found from the residence. 

After the controversy, CJI Sanjeev Khanna had appointed a committee of three judges, which had found Justice Varma guilty, and called for his removal. Justice Varma was sent to Allahabad High Court and removed from his judicial duties. 

Justice Varma had denied all claims of wrongdoing and had further challenged the committee's report in the Supreme Court.