Justice Yashwant Varma, accused in cash-at-home scam, resigns

Justice Yashwant Varma resigns amid cash-at-home scam allegations and ongoing parliamentary inquiry for removal from the Allahabad High Court.

Allahabad High Court Judge Yashwant Varma, who is facing a parliamentary inquiry for his removal, has tendered his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu on Friday (April 10, 2026).

“Your Excellency, 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 the Hon’ble High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, with immediate effect. It has been an honour to serve in this office,” the resignation letter sent to the President on April 9 said.

Piles of cash was found in the storeroom of Justice Varma in March last year, by fire service personnel when dousing fire at his house. He was serving as a judge in the Delhi High Court at that time. He was subsequently transferred to Allahabad High Court and a judicial inquiry was ordered.

On June 19, 2025, an in-house inquiry committee constituted by the Chief Justice of India concluded that cash was found in the gutted storeroom at the official residential premises of Justice Varma, and police and fire authorities were “slipshod” in not lodging an FIR or preparing a seizure memo recording exactly what they came across at the scene of the fire on March 14-15.

On July 3, 2025, the government began the process of collecting signatures for a motion to remove Justice Varma, as most of the prominent political parties have accepted, in principle, to support the motion.

(With PTI inputs)