Overview
- A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and S.C. Sharma said it does not prima facie accept Justice Yashwant Varma’s claim that the Speaker lacked authority to constitute the inquiry committee.
- The court flagged some infirmity in how the panel was set up and will assess whether any defect caused prejudice serious enough to justify intervention.
- Varma argues Section 3(2) of the Judges (Inquiry) Act mandated a joint panel because motions were moved in both Houses on July 21, 2025, and he also questions the Deputy Chairman’s power to reject the Rajya Sabha motion.
- Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh told the court the Rajya Sabha motion was found defective and not admitted, with Deputy Chairman Harivansh rejecting it on August 11, 2025; the Speaker admitted the Lok Sabha motion on August 12 and formed the three-member committee.
- The panel led by Justice Aravind Kumar, with Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and B.V. Acharya, has sought Varma’s written statement by January 12 and his appearance on January 24, after an in-house Supreme Court inquiry earlier found misconduct warranting removal.