Nearly a year after unaccounted cash was allegedly recovered from his official residence in Delhi, Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma wrote to President Droupadi Murmu on April 9, conveying his decision to step down from office. “While I do not propose to burden your august office with the reasons that have constrained me to submit this missive, it is with deep anguish that I hereby tender my resignation,” Varma said in his letter. “It has been an honour to serve in this office,” he added.

The decision brought to a close months of mounting scrutiny, going back to the night of March 14, 2025. Then, a judge of the Delhi High Court, Varma, found himself in the eye of the storm after firefighters responding to a blaze at his official residence allegedly discovered stacks of half-burnt currency notes in a storeroom on the premises.