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 amid ongoing impeachment proceedings, news agency IANS reported.
In his resignation 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 Judge of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad.
“It has been an honour to serve in this office,” the letter stated.
A copy of the resignation was also marked to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, IANS reported.
Justice Varma has been at the centre of controversy since burnt cash was allegedly discovered on March 14, 2025, in an outhouse at the official residence allotted to him during his tenure as a judge of the Delhi High Court.
In July 2025, notices of impeachment against him were moved in both Houses of Parliament, backed by 145 Lok Sabha members and 63 Rajya Sabha members. Subsequently, the Lok Sabha Speaker constituted a three-member enquiry committee under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, to examine the charges.
Supreme Court had rejected Justice Varma’s plea against inquiry panel
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea filed by Justice Varma challenging the Lok Sabha Speaker’s decision to constitute the enquiry committee. Pronouncing the operative part of the verdict, a Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma held: “We hold that the petitioner is not entitled to any relief in the present case.”
Justice Varma had argued that impeachment notices moved in both Houses required joint consultation between the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Chairman before the probe panel was formed, questioning the procedure on constitutional grounds.
He had also challenged the findings of a three-member in-house enquiry 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, holding that the in-house process was “fair and just” and did not undermine judicial independence.
Based on the in-house enquiry report, then Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna recommended initiation of removal proceedings, following which a parliamentary enquiry committee was constituted. The composition of the panel was later revised after the retirement of Madras High Court Chief Justice Maninder Mohan Shrivastava.
(With IANS inputs)