‘Is He Your Friend?, He’s Still A Judge': CJI BR Gavai Pulls UP Advocate Over Indecorous Reference To Justice Yashwant Varma In SC

New Delhi: The Chief Justice Of India BR Gavai on Monday slammed an advocate for referring to Allahabad High Court’s Justice Yashwant Varma, who landed in hot water since the alleged recovery of burnt currency notes at his official residence in Delhi in March this year, by his surname. Advocate Mathews Nedumpara repeatedly addressed him as “Varma” during the proceedings.

Advocate Nedumpara was urging the top court for an urgent hearing on his petition seeking an FIR against Justice Varma.

“Looks like Varma also wants this now… he also moved. There needs to be an FIR,” Nedumpara told the bench.

“Is he your friend? He is still Justice Varma. How can you refer to him like that? Show some decorum. You’re speaking about a learned judge. He is still a judge of the court,” CJI Gavai said in response. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, too agreed to the CJI and said he was still a judge.

“I don’t think he deserves that much respect,” the advocate said in response.

To this, the CJI responded, “Please don’t order the court,” the CJI called the next case, refusing to hear the matter further.

Impeachment Motion Against Juctice Varma

Meanwhile, the impeachment motion in the parliament against justice Varma has received support from MPs belonging to the Bhartiya Janata Party, Congress, TDP, JDU, CPM, and several other parties.

Among those who signed the motion are MPs Anurag Thakur, Ravi Shankar Prasad, LoP Rahul Gandhi, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Supriya Sule, KC Venugopal, and PP Chaudhary.

For the first time since India’s independence, Parliament will probe a sitting High Court judge under Articles 124, 217, and 218 of the Constitution.

Requirement For Impeachment

To initiate the impeachment motion, signatures of at least 50 Rajya Sabha MPs or 100 Lok Sabha MPs are required.

A total of 208 MPs, 145 from Lok Sabha and 63 MPs from Rajya Sabha on Monday submitted a petition regarding the impeachment of Justice Varma.