Allahabad HC Judge Resigns Amid Cash Probe

Justice Yashwant Varma, a judge at the Allahabad High Court, resigned from his position on April 9, submitting his letter to President Droupadi Murmu with immediate effect. The move comes nearly a year after a fire at his official residence in New Delhi uncovered bundles of partially burnt currency notes, sparking allegations of financial misconduct and prompting impeachment proceedings in Parliament.

In his resignation letter, Justice Varma expressed reluctance to detail the reasons for his decision but conveyed personal distress over it. "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," he wrote. He added that serving as a judge had been an honor and sent a copy of the letter to the Chief Justice of India.

The controversy originated on March 14, 2025, when firefighters responding to a blaze at Justice Varma's Delhi residence discovered stacks of cash, some reportedly over 1.5 feet high, in a room. An initial in-house inquiry by a...