NEW DELHI: Justice Yashwant Varma, from whose Delhi High Court residence a substantial amount of cash was recovered following a fire on March 14, has declined to resign. This decision comes after an in-house enquiry committee appointed by the Supreme Court confirmed the discovery of the funds. The enquiry panel, constituted under Supreme Court directions, submitted its report to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna. The committee upheld that a large sum of money was indeed found in Justice Varma’s official quarters. Based on these findings, the judge was presented with two choices: Resign voluntarily, thereby avoiding a formal impeachment. Face parliamentary impeachment proceedings. Justice Varma opted against resignation, prompting the next procedural step. CJI’s Letter to the President & Prime Minister Upon receiving Justice Varma’s refusal, CJI Sanjiv Khanna forwarded the enquiry report, along with the judge’s written response, to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Under the House enquiry procedure established for High Court judges, such a refusal compels the CJI to notify the nation’s highest authorities, setting the stage for impeachment. Impeachment of a High Court judge involves a twostage parliamentary procedure: Enquiry Committee Review: A fresh committee— typically comprising sitting Supreme Court judges—will investigate allegations of “proven misbehaviour” or “incapacity.” Parliamentary Vote: If the committee sustains its findings, both Houses of Parliament must pass an impeachment motion by a two-thirds majority.