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Justice Varma Cash Case: Justice Yashwant Varma, who was in the news nationwide for corruption-related allegations, finally resigned on Friday. He was under fire since the discovery of burnt currency notes in his New Delhi bungalow. But this is not the first such case. In the history of the Indian judiciary, there have been judges who faced serious corruption allegations and subsequently resigned before the impeachment process could begin in the Parliament. These four names dominated the headlines for a long time in the past.

1. Justice PD Dinakaran

PD Dinakaran, a native of Tamil Nadu, was the Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court when he landed in trouble. He faced serious allegations of grabbing approximately 197 acres of government and private land in the Kanchipuram district. He also faced charges of possessing disproportionate assets and misuse of his position. These allegations came to light when he was recommended for appointment to the Supreme Court in 2009. The inquiry committee found the allegations to be true. He resigned on July 29, 2011, just before the impeachment proceedings could begin.

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2. Justice Soumitra Sen

Calcutta High Court Judge Soumitra Sen was accused of embezzling Rs 33.23 lakh while serving as receiver in a 1983 case. He transferred the money deposited by the court to his personal account. The Rajya Sabha passed an impeachment motion against him in 2011, the first successful impeachment against a judge. He resigned on September 1, 2011, before the case was taken up in the Lok Sabha.

3. Justice Dilip B Bhosale

Chief Justice of the Hyderabad High Court, Dilip Bhosale, was accused of administrative irregularities and bias. However, there was no substantial corruption case against him. He resigned on October 24, 2018, the date of his retirement. Many believe this move was taken to avoid controversy. Some reports claimed that he resigned to avoid controversy and preserve his reputation. However, Justice Bhosale's case lacked clear evidence of corruption, unlike the other three judges.

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4. Justice V Ramaswami

Former Supreme Court Justice V Ramaswami was the first Indian judge to face impeachment proceedings. He was accused of gross misuse of public funds while serving as Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He purchased luxurious furniture, foreign trips, and paid for personal expenses from the public treasury. An impeachment motion was introduced in 1991, but failed to pass in the Lok Sabha. Ultimately, he resigned in 1994 due to mounting pressure.

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What Is Justice Varma Cash Row?

While serving as a Justice of the Delhi High Court, he was transferred back to the Allahabad High Court in March 2025 after a huge amount of burnt cash was discovered from his Delhi residence, following a fire incident. There, too, his transfer was strongly opposed. Justice Varma has now joined the list of those who have resigned from the prestigious position of Judge after being embroiled in controversy.

(With Jagran Inputs)

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