Lok Sabha Speaker Directs Panel to Conclude Probe on Justice Varma Post-Resignation

An inquiry into allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma will proceed to a final report, despite his resignation from the judiciary on April 9. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla instructed the three-member inquiry committee to conclude its investigation and submit its findings, as per the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.

The committee, headed by Supreme Court judge Justice Aravind Kumar, received formal communication on April 29 from the Lok Sabha secretariat. This directive indicated the Speaker's desire for the panel to finalize its report. The committee had previously determined on April 21 that Justice Varma's withdrawal from proceedings could not terminate the statutory inquiry.

By the time of his withdrawal, charges had been framed and served, defense statements were submitted, evidence was supplied and reviewed, interlocutory applications were heard, nine witnesses were examined and cross-examined, and documentary and electronic evidence was marked. The committee stated that a statutory inquiry cannot cease based on a unilateral withdrawal after the evidentiary record is substantially compiled.

Justice Varma had participated in the proceedings through lawyers, contested procedural aspects, filed applications, inspected records, and cross-examined witnesses before withdrawing at the stage where he was to present his defense. The committee concluded that this withdrawal could not dissolve the inquiry or invalidate the existing evidence. The committee subsequently discharged lawyers representing Justice Varma and announced that its report would be forthcoming.

Key Facts

• Justice Yashwant Varma resigned from the judiciary on April 9.
• On April 29, the Lok Sabha secretariat informed the inquiry committee of Speaker Om Birla's desire for the panel to complete its report.
• The inquiry committee, chaired by Justice Aravind Kumar, previously decided on April 21 that Justice Varma's withdrawal could not end the statutory investigation.
• The committee proceeded to finalize its report based on available material, including Justice Varma's defense statements and evidence presented during the inquiry.
• Justice Varma had challenged the parliamentary removal process in the Supreme Court, which was dismissed in January 2026.