Senior Advocate and Chairman of the All India Bar Association (AIBA), Dr. Adish C. Aggarwala, has written to the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, requesting that the resignation of Justice Yashwant Verma not be accepted. Dr. Aggarwala, who is also the former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), argued that the resignation should be stayed to allow pending impeachment proceedings in Parliament to reach a conclusive determination.
The letter, dated April 10, 2026, highlights a matter of “considerable constitutional importance.” According to the communication, Justice Yashwant Verma was initially called upon to resign by the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India, Mr. Justice Sanjiv Khanna. However, the judge reportedly chose instead to face an inquiry.
Dr. Aggarwala noted that impeachment proceedings are currently stated to be pending before the Indian Parliament. The tendering of a resignation at this stage, the letter asserts, raises significant concerns regarding accountability and the integrity of constitutional processes.
Concerns Regarding Accountability
The AIBA Chairman expressed concern that accepting the resignation at this juncture would render the pending impeachment proceedings “infructuous.”
The letter states:
“In such circumstances, acceptance of the resignation may have the effect of rendering the pending impeachment proceedings infructuous, thereby impeding a full and transparent adjudication of the issues involved through the mechanism expressly contemplated under the Constitution.”
Dr. Aggarwala further emphasized that such a move could undermine the efficacy of parliamentary oversight in matters of judicial accountability. He maintained that the independence and dignity of the judiciary are foundational to the constitutional framework, necessitating that allegations affecting public confidence be addressed strictly in accordance with constitutional procedures.
Request to the President
Urging the President to intervene in the “larger public interest,” Dr. Aggarwala requested that the impeachment process be allowed to take its due course.
“I most respectfully urge Your Excellency to consider not accepting the resignation of Justice Verma at this stage and to allow the impeachment proceedings to take their due course, so that the issues involved may be conclusively determined in accordance with law.”
The letter concludes by stressing that a conclusive determination of the issues is essential for maintaining the credibility of the justice delivery system.
