Overview
- Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, who retired Wednesday after a full-court reference in Prayagraj, said critics had “twisted” his 2024 remarks and asserted he never discriminated from the bench.
- The impeachment notice filed in the Rajya Sabha on December 13, 2024 carried 54–55 opposition signatures but was not admitted after the secretariat flagged mismatches and later verified only about 44.
- The motion arose from a speech at a VHP legal-cell event where he said India would run by the majority’s wishes and allegedly used a derogatory slur for Muslims, drawing protests from lawyers, civil groups and opposition leaders.
- The Supreme Court collegium summoned him and reportedly sought a public apology, which he declined in writing, as the Rajya Sabha secretariat asserted parliamentary primacy and an in-house inquiry was shelved.
- Legal experts say the case underscores a structural gap because the Judges (Inquiry) Act sets no timelines and removal needs political majorities, a reality that has seen past efforts fail, including the 1993 bid against Justice V. Ramaswami.