New Delhi, 16 January (H.S.): A Supreme Court bench presided over by Justice Dipankar Datta dismissed Allahabad High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma's petition contesting the Lok Sabha Speaker's formation of an impeachment inquiry committee on Friday, reserving judgment on January 8.

Varma contended that when the motion to remove him was introduced simultaneously in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on July 21, the Judges Inquiry Act mandated a joint committee constituted by the Speaker and Chairman post-adoption by both houses, rendering the Speaker's unilateral panel procedurally flawed despite Rajya Sabha inaction.

Varma's plea invoked the Act's explicit stipulation for joint committee formation when motions are tabled concurrently; he questioned the Speaker's authority absent Rajya Sabha endorsement.

The apex court had ordered a three-member probe on March 22, comprising Punjab & Haryana Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, Himachal Pradesh Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia, and Karnataka High Court Justice Anu Sivaraman.

The controversy traces to March 14, when fire broke out at Varma's Delhi High Court judge residence—then as a Delhi HC judge—prompting fire services to recover cash, precipitating impeachment proceedings.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar