Justice Yashwant Varma resigns amid cash row, evades possible parliamentary removal

Justice Yashwant Varma resigns: Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court on Friday tendered his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu, bringing an end to months of controversy surrounding alleged recovery of unaccounted cash from his official residence in Delhi.

The resignation comes more than a year after the incident triggered a political storm and raised serious concerns over judicial accountability. By stepping down, Justice Varma has effectively averted the possibility of removal proceedings that were likely to be initiated in Parliament.

Earlier, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had admitted a motion seeking his removal and initiated the process under the Judges Inquiry Act, 1968. A three-member committee was constituted to investigate the allegations against him.

Justice Varma had challenged the Speaker’s decision in the Supreme Court, seeking relief against the proposed action. However, the apex court dismissed his plea, allowing the parliamentary process to move forward.

With limited legal options remaining, the judge chose to resign from his post.

The controversy dates back to March 2025, when then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna ordered a probe into the alleged recovery of unexplained cash from Justice Varma’s Delhi residence. At the time, he was serving as a judge of the Delhi High Court. Following the inquiry, he was transferred to the Allahabad High Court.