Supreme Court Deliberates on Lok Sabha's Role in Judge Inquiry Amidst Controversy

The Supreme Court discussed the legitimacy of an inquiry committee set up by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to probe corruption charges against Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma, following Rajya Sabha's rejection of a similar motion. The court questioned procedural adherence and potential errors in the committee's formation.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court observed that there is no restriction under the Judges Inquiry Act preventing Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla from forming a committee to investigate corruption allegations against Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma, even after the Rajya Sabha rejected a similar motion.

A bench, including Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma, expressed a preliminary opinion not aligning with senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi. Rohatgi, defending Justice Varma, contested the competency of the Rajya Sabha's Deputy Chairperson in dismissing the motion due to the chairperson's resignation.

However, the court identified potential procedural flaws in how the committee was established and agreed to review whether these warranted halting proceedings. They highlighted the necessity of understanding statutory silence in motion rejections between parliamentary houses.

(With inputs from agencies.)