Cash-at-Home Row: Justice Yashwant Varma Resigns Amid Impeachment Heat

Justice Yashwant Varma, on April 9, 2026, resigned from his position as a judge of the Allahabad High Court, submitting his resignation to the President of India.

"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", wrote Justice Varma.

The development comes amid an ongoing probe and impeachment proceedings against Justice Varma linked to the “cash-at-home” controversy. Notably, when the incident came to light, the judge had refused to resign.

The controversy dates back to March 2025, when a fire broke out at his official residence in Delhi. During firefighting operations, large quantities of cash were allegedly discovered, triggering a nationwide legal and political storm.

Following this, an in-house inquiry was initiated by the Supreme Court and Justice Varma's judicial work was withdrawn. He was also transferred from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court.

As the controversy intensified, a parliamentary inquiry committee was constituted to examine the charges against him, and an impeachment motion against Justice Varma began gathering support among Members of Parliament.

Justice Varma challenged the constitution of the inquiry committee before the Supreme Court. However, on January 16, 2026, the Apex Court rejected his petition.

The court observed that “constitutional safeguards for judges cannot come at the cost of paralysing the removal process itself.” It held that the judge had failed to demonstrate any present or inevitable violation of his fundamental rights at this preliminary stage.

In February this year, the three-member inquiry committee constituted by the Lok Sabha Speaker fast-tracked its proceedings, indicating an effort to conclude the probe before the impending retirement of one of its members.

The committee comprised Madras High Court Chief Justice M.M. Shrivastava, Supreme Court judge Justice Aravind Kumar, and senior advocate B.V. Acharya. Justice Varma first appeared before the panel on January 24 and after that on atleast two more occassions.