New Delhi, 10 April (H.S.):

Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court has tendered his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu, abruptly stepping down from the bench as impeachment proceedings loomed over allegations of unaccounted cash discovered at his official residence.

The move follows a cascade of scrutiny initiated after a fire on March 14, 2025, at his Delhi High Court quarters—where Varma then served—unearthed charred wads of ₹500 notes in a storeroom, sparking misconduct charges.

Transferred to Allahabad amid the fallout, Varma faced a Lok Sabha Speaker-constituted inquiry committee under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.

Varma had challenged the panel's legitimacy in the Supreme Court, which on March 22, 2025, dismissed his plea and mandated a three-member probe comprising Punjab & Haryana Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, Himachal Pradesh Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia, and Karnataka High Court Justice Anu Shivaraman.

The apex court upheld the Speaker's authority, paving the way for parliamentary removal motion backed by 146 MPs.

In his missive, Varma expressed profound anguish without detailing motives, rendering the inquiry infructuous as statutory mechanisms cease upon a judge's exit. The episode underscores escalating demands for judicial probity amid parallel in-house and impeachment protocols.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar