New Delhi: A year after a major controversy over the recovery of unaccounted cash from his official residence, Yashwant Varma on Thursday resigned from his position as a judge of the Allahabad High Court, submitting his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu.
With this move, Justice Varma effectively avoids a potential impeachment process in Parliament. Earlier, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had admitted a motion seeking his removal and constituted a three-member inquiry committee under the Judges Inquiry Act, 1968 to investigate the allegations.
Justice Varma had challenged the Speaker’s decision before the Supreme Court of India, but the court dismissed his plea, allowing parliamentary proceedings to continue. Facing limited legal options, he chose to step down.
The controversy dates back to March 14, 2025, when unaccounted cash was reportedly discovered at his Delhi residence during his tenure as a judge of the Delhi High Court. Following the incident, then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna had set up a three-member committee on March 22, 2025, to probe the matter.
Subsequently, Justice Varma was transferred to the Allahabad High Court, even as the inquiry continued.
His resignation brings an end to the immediate prospect of impeachment proceedings, but the episode has reignited debates around judicial accountability and transparency in India.
