Allahabad High Court Judge Yashwant Varma Resigns Following 2025 Cash Recovery Controversy

Key Points:

On Friday, April 10, 2026, Justice Yashwant Verma resigned from his position at the Allahabad high court. This happened after a major cash recovery controversy happened at his home which resulted in the initiation of impeachment proceedings against him. After his resignation the impeachment proceedings have also come to an abrupt end.

Justice Verma send his resignation letter to the President of India Draupadi Murmu. In his letter Verma wrote, “While I do not propose to burden your august office with the reasons which have constrained me to submit this missive, it is with deep anguish that I hereby tender my resignation from the office of Judge of Hon'ble High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, with immediate effect."

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All this follows a major controversy which dates back to March 14, 2025 when a fire broke out at the official residence of Justice Verma in Lutyens Delhi. After the fire broke out the fire fighters operation happened and a large stash of cash was discovered in a storeroom near the servants’ quarters. At this time Justice Verma was serving as a judge in the Delhi High Court.

During this incident Justice Verma and his wife were not home and were reportedly in Bhopal. This incident triggered a nationwide controversy which led to a multiple layer of inquiry against Justice Verma. After this incident the then chief justice Sanjiv Khanna constituted an in-house inquiry committee comprising senior judges.

The panel submitted its report in May 2025, reportedly finding prima facie evidence of wrongdoing and recommented further actions against him. Justice Varma was subsequently transferred back to his parent court, the Allahabad High Court, and was stripped of judicial work pending the inquiry.

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The finding of the in house inquiry led to the impeachment proceedings in the parliament. The Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla initiated impeachment proceedings after a motion signed by 146 Members of Parliament. A three-member inquiry committee was formed under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, including judges from the Supreme Court and High Courts along with a senior advocate.

Justice Varma challenged both the in-house inquiry and the parliamentary proceedings before the Supreme Court. However, his petitions were dismissed, allowing the investigations to continue. Throughout the controversy, Justice Varma denied all allegations and maintained that neither he nor his family had stored any cash in the premises. Despite his defence, the in-house inquiry reportedly concluded that Justice Varma and his family had control over the area where the cash was found.

With impeachment proceedings underway and the inquiry by the parliamentary committee still ongoing, Justice Varma has now stepped down from his post. His resignation effectively halts the impeachment process, which is constitutionally meant to remove a sitting judge.

[VP]

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