New Delhi, April 10 – Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court has tendered his resignation with immediate effect to President Droupadi Murmu, bringing an abrupt end to his tenure amidst ongoing impeachment proceedings.
In his letter, Justice Varma said, "I do not propose to burden your august office with the reasons which have constrained me to submit this missive," adding that "it is with deep anguish" that he was stepping down from the office of a Judge of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad.
"It has been an honour to serve in this office," the letter read.
A copy of the resignation was also marked to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant.
Justice Varma has been at the centre of controversy since allegations emerged in March 2025 that burnt cash was discovered in an outhouse at the official residence allocated to him during his tenure as a judge of the Delhi High Court.
Impeachment notices, backed by 145 members of the Lok Sabha and 63 members of the Rajya Sabha, were moved in both Houses of Parliament in July 2025.
Subsequently, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha constituted a three-member inquiry committee under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, to examine the charges.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court rejected a plea filed by Justice Varma challenging the Speaker's decision to constitute the inquiry committee.
Delivering the operative part of the verdict, a Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma of the apex court held: "We hold that the petitioner is not entitled to any relief in the present case."
Justice Varma had questioned the constitution of the inquiry panel on procedural grounds, contending that impeachment notices moved simultaneously in both Houses required joint consultation between the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Chairman before constituting the probe committee.
Justice Varma had also challenged the findings of a three-member in-house inquiry committee constituted by the Supreme Court, which concluded that he exercised "secret or active control" over the cash allegedly recovered from the premises.
The apex court dismissed that challenge as well, concluding that the in-house procedure was "fair and just" and did not compromise judicial independence.
Based on the in-house inquiry report, then Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna had recommended initiation of removal proceedings, leading to the constitution of a parliamentary inquiry committee whose composition was recently revised, following the retirement of Madras High Court Chief Justice Maninder Mohan Shrivastava.
