Justice Yashwant Varma has tendered his resignation as a judge of the Allahabad High Court, bringing an abrupt end to ongoing impeachment proceedings initiated against him over serious corruption allegations.
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Resignation Submitted Without Stated Reasons
Justice Varma submitted his resignation to Droupadi Murmu on April 9. In his letter, he expressed “deep anguish” but chose not to disclose the reasons behind his decision.
“While I do not propose to burden your august office with the reasons which have constrained me to submit this missive, it is with deep anguish that I hereby tender my resignation… with immediate effect,” the letter read.
Impeachment Process Comes to a Halt
Sources from the Lok Sabha Secretariat confirmed that with his resignation, the impeachment proceedings initiated in Parliament will now cease. Under constitutional procedure, resignation before completion of impeachment effectively terminates the process.
Notably, by resigning, Justice Varma retains eligibility for pension and post-retirement benefits available to High Court judges—benefits that would have been forfeited had he been formally removed by Parliament.
Cash Recovery Controversy
The controversy dates back to March 14, 2025, when a substantial amount of cash was allegedly recovered from Justice Varma’s official residence in Lutyens’ Delhi during his tenure at the Delhi High Court. Reports indicated that partially burnt currency was found in a storeroom near the servants’ quarters.
At the time of the incident, Justice Varma and his wife were reportedly in Bhopal. The judge denied any connection to the recovered cash, asserting that neither he nor his family had stored money in the room, which he claimed was accessible to multiple individuals.
Supreme Court Inquiry and Administrative Action
Following the incident, the Supreme Court of India constituted a three-judge in-house inquiry committee on March 22, 2025. The panel submitted its report on May 4 to then Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna.
Pending inquiry, the Supreme Court took the unusual step of withdrawing judicial work from Justice Varma. He was subsequently transferred to his parent court, the Allahabad High Court, with directions that no judicial assignments be given to him. In an unprecedented move, visual evidence allegedly showing the recovered cash was also made public.
Parliamentary Action and Investigation
The impeachment process formally commenced in July 2025. In August, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla constituted a three-member committee to investigate the allegations.
Earlier this year, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had confirmed that the inquiry was ongoing and that the government was awaiting the committee’s findings.
Conclusion
Justice Varma’s resignation brings a sudden closure to one of the most high-profile judicial controversies in recent times. While the impeachment process now stands terminated, the episode raises important questions regarding judicial accountability and the mechanisms for addressing allegations of misconduct within the higher judiciary.
