New Delhi | Supreme Court's Justice Aravind Kumar, who is a part of a three-member panel to probe charges against high court judge Yashwant Varma, has been a judge of constitutional courts for over 16 years.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday admitted a notice for the removal of Allahabad High Court's Justice Varma and constituted a three-member committee to probe charges against him.
Justice Kumar took oath as a top court judge on February 13, 2023 and is slated to retire on July 13, 2027.
He earlier served as the chief justice of the Gujarat High Court, assuming office on October 13, 2021.
Justice Kumar was appointed as an additional judge of the Karnataka High Court on June 26, 2009 and was made a permanent judge starting December 7, 2012 onward.
Born on July 14, 1962, the judge enrolled as an advocate in 1987 and was appointed as additional central government standing counsel at the Karnataka High Court in 1999.
He was appointed as assistant solicitor general of India in 2005.
Making the announcement in the Lok Sabha, Birla said the process of removal of Justice Varma should begin underlining the "serious" charges against him.
The speaker set up a three-member committee comprising Justice Kumar, Madras High Court Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and senior advocate of Karnataka High Court B V Acharya
"The committee will submit its report as early as possible. The proposal (for removal of Justice Varma) will remain pending till the receipt of the report of the inquiry committee," Birla said.
On August 7, the apex court dismissed Justice Varma's plea seeking invalidation of an in-house inquiry report finding him guilty of misconduct in the cash discovery row.
Wads of burnt cash were discovered following a fire in the storeroom of the judge's official residence in the national capital on March 14.
