The Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has constituted a three-member Committee to probe the allegations levelled against High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma, after a sum of burned cash was found at his residence in New Delhi in March this year.

When the Lok Sabha assembled at 12 Noon after the first adjournment, the Speaker said, the three-member panel will comprise of Supreme Court Judge Justice Aravind Kumar, Chief Justice of Madras High Court Justice Maninder Mohan Shrivastava and Senior Advocate of Karnataka High Court B V Acharaya. Mr Birla said that the Committee will submit its report as early as possible. The Speaker informed the House, he has accepted the notices signed by 146 MPs from ruling and opposition benches for the removal of Justice Yashwant Verma. While admitting the notices, the speaker said that the motion in this regard will remain pending till the receipt of the report of the inquiry committee.

The Speaker said, the Parliament must speak in one voice on this matter and send a clear message to every citizen of the country about their zero-tolerance policy towards corruption in public life. Mr Birla informed that the then Chief Justice of India, after considering the seriousness of this matter, had constituted a 3-member committee. He said, the committee has sent its report to the President and the Prime Minister. He said, the Chief Justice of India was of the opinion that the allegations found in the committee’s report against Justice Varma were of such nature that initiation of removal proceedings against him was warranted.