Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Petition Against Justice Yashwant Verma
Immediate Hearing on Petition for FIR Against Justice Verma
The Supreme Court has agreed to conduct an immediate hearing regarding a petition seeking the registration of an FIR against Justice Yashwant Verma of the Allahabad High Court, which was presented on Monday.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih, considered the arguments put forth by the petitioner and lawyer, Mathews Nedumpara. They indicated that the case could be listed for hearing on Tuesday if the identified deficiencies are rectified.
The Chief Justice remarked, 'If the deficiencies in the petition are addressed, it can be scheduled for tomorrow.' Nedumpara assured the bench that he would correct any issues in the petition and requested that it be listed for Wednesday, as he would be unavailable on Tuesday.
The bench consented to list the case for Wednesday, contingent upon the rectification of the deficiencies. Following a finding of guilt by the internal inquiry commission, the then Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna had urged Justice Verma to resign.
After Justice Verma refused to resign, the former Chief Justice wrote to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The petition filed by Nedumpara and three others demanded the initiation of immediate criminal proceedings, asserting that the internal committee had found the allegations against Justice Verma to be prima facie valid.
The petition emphasized that while the internal inquiry could lead to judicial disciplinary action, it does not preclude the possibility of a criminal investigation under applicable laws.
In March, the same petitioners approached the Supreme Court challenging the internal inquiry and requesting a formal police investigation. However, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition, citing the pending nature of the internal proceedings. Now that the inquiry has concluded, the petitioners argue that any delay in criminal action is no longer justifiable.