Allahabad High Court Judge Yashwant Varma Quits Post During Impeachment Proceedings

Justice Yashwant Varma has resigned from his position at the Allahabad High Court. He addressed his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu. His judicial tenure comes to an immediate end as he faces impeachment action.

In his resignation note, Justice Varma refrained from detailing the reasons behind his decision, stating, “I do not propose to burden your august office with the reasons which have constrained me to submit this missive,” and described his decision as one taken ‘with deep anguish’.

“It has been an honour to serve in this office,” Justice Varma remarked.

The letter was also shared with Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.

Case Background

The controversy surrounding Justice Varma dates back to March 14, 2025. Partially burnt cash was allegedly discovered in an outhouse at his official residence. This occurred during his tenure at the Delhi High Court.

In July 2025, impeachment motions were introduced in both Houses of Parliament, supported by 145 Lok Sabha MPs and 63 Rajya Sabha MPs.

Subsequently, the Lok Sabha Speaker formed a three-member probe panel under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, to examine the allegations.

Justice Varma approached the Supreme Court, challenging the constitution of this panel, arguing that proper procedure had not been followed.

A Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma declined relief, stating, “We hold that the petitioner is not entitled to any relief in the present case.”

Justice Varma had earlier contested the findings of an internal inquiry committee set up by the Supreme Court. The committee had concluded that he exercised ‘secret or active control’ over the recovered cash.

The apex court upheld the inquiry, observing that the process was ‘fair and just’ and did not compromise judicial independence.

Following the internal findings, former Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna recommended the initiation of removal proceedings. This led to the creation of a parliamentary inquiry committee, whose composition was later revised after the retirement of Maninder Mohan Shrivastava.