By News18
Former Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, on Sunday, reacted to the Supreme Court administration鈥檚 letter to the Centre, seeking 鈥渋mmediate vacation鈥 of the official residence of the CJI and its return to the court鈥檚 housing pool.
Justice Chandrachud, who retired as the CJI in November last year, continues to stay in Bungalow No. 5 on Krishna Menon Marg in Lutyens鈥 Delhi 鈥 which is designated as the official residence for the sitting CJI under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs 鈥 nearly eight months after his retirement.
Sources told CNN-News18 that the top court鈥檚 administration has requested the government to get the house vacated without delay.
Justice Chandrachud Responds To Letter
Explaining the situation while speaking with CNN-News18, the former CJI said that former Sanjiv Khanna, who preceded him as the Chief Justice of India, allowed him an extension until April and, after that, he sought another extension due to 鈥渟pecial needs鈥 for his elder daughter, for whom an 鈥淚CU-like setup鈥 has been created at the existing residence.
鈥淛ustice Sanjiv Khanna allowed me the extension until April. At April end, I wrote to Justice Khanna seeking an extension till June,鈥 Justice Chandrachud said.
Citing his daughter鈥檚 ill health, he said that he urged the government to allot him a temporary accommodation on rent, and he would shift there as soon as the required repairs were completed.
鈥淲e were looking for a specific house since our daughters are with special needs. We have created an ICU-like setup for our elder daughter, and hence finding a house in the open market according to our needs is difficult. Hence, I had requested the government to give me temporary accommodation on rent,鈥 he said.
鈥淭he government house allocated to me required a lot of repairs, and we鈥檙e just waiting for it to be complete, and the very next day we will move in. Our packing is complete, I will move the very next day when the house is ready,鈥 the former CJI clarified.
Stay Period Extended After Retirement
According to a report, Justice DY Chandrachud wrote to then Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna on December 18, 2024鈥攋ust over a month after retiring鈥攁sking for permission to stay at his official house at 5 Krishna Menon Marg until April 30, 2025.
In the letter, he explained that although he had been given another house (Bungalow No. 14 on Tughlak Road) as per the rules for retired judges, renovation work there was delayed because of restrictions on construction under GRAP-IV (a pollution control plan in Delhi).
He said it would be easier to stay at his current home until the renovation was done. He also offered to give up the Tughlak Road house so it could be given to another judge.
As per the rules made in 2022, a retired Chief Justice is allowed to stay in Type VII accommodation (a slightly smaller house) for up to six months after retirement. But Justice Chandrachud was staying in a Type VIII bungalow, which is usually for serving Chief Justices.
After Chief Justice Khanna agreed, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs approved his request, allowing him to stay in the Krishna Menon Marg bungalow from December 11, 2024, to April 30, 2025.
This approval was officially sent to the Supreme Court in a letter dated February 13, 2025.