E-Paper
‘Deep anguish...’: Inside justice Yashwant Varma's resignation letter to President
Justice Yashwant Varma on Thursday tendered his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu.
Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma on Thursday tendered his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu, effectively bringing to a close the ongoing parliamentary inquiry into allegations of unaccounted cash discovered at his official residence in Delhi last year. People aware of the matter confirmed the development to HT.
“While I do not propose to burden your august office with the reasons that have constrained me to submit this missive, it is with deep anguish that I hereby tender my resignation from the office of Judge of the Hon'ble High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, with immediate effect,” the letter dated April 9 stated.
“It has been an honour to serve in this office,” he added.
What’s next?
Justice Yashwant Varma’s resignation effectively brings the proceedings initiated under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 to a halt, as the statutory mechanism for removal, set in motion through a motion in Parliament, ceases to operate once a judge demits office.
Varma had been facing removal proceedings after a Lok Sabha motion admitted in August 2025, with a three-member inquiry committee constituted by Speaker Om Birla to probe the charges.
The move marks a sudden end to a closely watched and procedurally complex impeachment process that had already seen delays.
As recently as February, the Speaker had reconstituted the inquiry panel after one of its members, then MM Shrivastava, retired before the probe could be completed, requiring the process to restart under the law.
Varma had been at the centre of controversy since allegations emerged that burnt piles of unaccounted cash were recovered from his official residence in Delhi following a fire in March 2025, when he was serving as a judge of the Delhi high court.
A subsequent in-house inquiry by the Supreme Court found his explanation unsatisfactory, prompting then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna to recommend action to the executive.
This led to the initiation of removal proceedings in Parliament, with notices moved in both Houses in July 2025. With Varma stepping down, continuation of the inquiry under the Act becomes untenable, bringing an abrupt close to a rare instance of impeachment proceedings against a sitting high court judge.
