Lok Sabha speaker to form committee to probe Justice Varma case

A notice was given to the Lok Sabha Speaker on Monday to bring an impeachment motion against Justice Verma. It has the signatures of 152 members, which include MPs from both the ruling and opposition parties.

New Delhi: The process of removing Justice Yashwant Varma will soon be started in the Lok Sabha. The Lok Sabha Speaker will announce the formation of the committee. The committee will investigate the grounds on which the removal of Justice Verma has been demanded.

In March, bundles of half-burnt notes were found from Justice Varma's official residence in Delhi. After this, he was transferred from Delhi High Court to Allahabad High Court. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Acting Chairman Harivansh held a meeting on Wednesday to finalize the modalities of the process of removing Justice Varma.

The general secretaries and other officials of both the houses were also present in the meeting. Later Home Minister Amit Shah also joined the meeting. A notice was given to the Lok Sabha Speaker on Monday to bring an impeachment motion against Justice Varma. It has the signatures of 152 members, which include MPs from both the ruling and opposition parties.

At the same time, the notice given in the Rajya Sabha has the signatures of only 63 opposition MPs. According to the Judges (Inquiry) Act, when a notice of impeachment motion is given in both the Houses of Parliament on the same day, the Speakers of both the Houses jointly constitute an inquiry committee. Bureau

Doubt over Dhankhar accepting the notice

Law experts say that the process of removing Justice Varma started when the Speaker received the notice from the Lok Sabha MPs and he accepted it. But it appears that the then Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, JD(U) Dhankhar did not accept the notice, he only mentioned it in the House. If the Speakers of both the Houses had accepted the notice, it would have to be passed in both the Houses. After this, both would have formed a joint committee.

However, a senior minister said that Dhankhar had mentioned the notice while being the Chairman. Therefore, Rajya Sabha Acting Chairman Harivansh will be consulted for the formation of the committee. Harivansh is the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

Home Minister Shah met PM in Parliament House

Amidst the uproar in Parliament over Justice Varma, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his office in Parliament House. This meeting of Shah and PM Modi has taken place against the backdrop of the sudden resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar from the post of Vice President citing health reasons and the continuous disruption of proceedings in both the houses of Parliament due to the opposition's protest on various issues including SIR.

If the committee finds guilty, a proposal will come

Sources said that the three-member statutory committee will be announced soon. It will include a Supreme Court judge, a Chief Justice of a High Court and a lawyer. If the committee finds Justice Varma guilty, an impeachment motion will be presented in the Lok Sabha. After detailed discussion, voting will take place on it and two-thirds of the votes will be required for its passage. After being passed in the Lok Sabha, it will be presented in the Rajya Sabha and then the same process will be repeated.