Govt begins collecting MPs signatures for motion to remove Justice Yashwant Varma

The government has begun collecting signatures of MPs to move a motion in Parliament to remove Justice Yashwant Varma, who is embroiled in a row following the discovery of burnt wads of currency at his residence after a fire incident.

Sources said signatures of many MPs from the Lok Sabha have been collected for the impeachment exercise, an indication that the motion may be moved in the Lower House.

A fire incident at Varma's residence in the national capital in March this year, when he was a judge at the Delhi High Court, had led to the discovery of sacks of cash in the outhouse.

He was subsequently repatriated to the Allahabad High Court, and an in-house probe ordered by then-Supreme Court Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna had indicted him.

Though Varma has denied any wrongdoing, the enquiry panel had concluded Varma and his family members had "covert or active control" over the storeroom, where the cash was discovered, proving his misconduct serious enough to seek his removal.

After he declined to resign, Khanna referred the matter to the president and the prime minister.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has said that a motion to remove Varma will be brought in Parliament's next session, beginning from July 21.

The government, he added, will be speaking to opposition parties to bring them on board to convert a message of unity against corruption in the judiciary.

For the Lok Sabha, signatures of a minimum of 100 MPs are required for such a motion, while for the Rajya Sabha, the requirement is the support of at least 50 MPs.