Ex-CJI Chandrachud Overstaying In Government Home, Needs To Vacate Immediately
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“Utterly Cognisant of My Tasks”: SC Tells Ex-CJI Chandrachud to Vacate Bungalow, Citing Expired Keep
New Delhi: In a uncommon and severe transfer, the Supreme Courtroom of India has written to the Union authorities, asking for the instant eviction of former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dr. D.Y. Chandrachud from his official residence at Bungalow No. 5, Krishna Menon Marg in Lutyens’ Delhi.
The court docket’s administration mentioned that Justice Chandrachud has stayed on the bungalow past the allowed time restrict below the principles and that the home should be returned to the court docket’s housing pool with none delay.
A letter dated July 1, 2025, despatched by a Supreme Courtroom official to the Ministry of Housing and City Affairs (MoHUA), acknowledged clearly:
“I’m to request you to take the possession of Bungalow No. 5, Krishna Menon Marg, from Hon’ble Dr. Justice DY Chandrachud with none additional delay as not solely the permission that was granted for retention… has expired on thirty first Could, 2025, but additionally the interval of six months supplied in Rule 3B of the 2022 Guidelines has expired on tenth Could, 2025.”
Justice Chandrachud had served because the fiftieth Chief Justice of India from November 2022 to November 2024. After retiring, he continued to reside on the Sort VIII bungalow for nearly eight months.
Nonetheless, his successors—Justice Sanjiv Khanna and the present CJI, Justice Bhushan R. Gavai—didn’t transfer into this residence and selected to remain of their earlier official bungalows.
Responding to the difficulty, Justice Chandrachud mentioned the delay was as a consequence of private causes, which had been already knowledgeable to the Supreme Courtroom administration.
He mentioned,
“I’ve already been allotted an lodging by the federal government on hire and that home is at the moment below renovation as a result of it was shut for the final at the least two years. I knowledgeable the Supreme Courtroom about this allotment, making it clear I’ll shift the very subsequent day that the home is prepared,”
Shortly after his retirement, on December 18, 2024, Justice Chandrachud had written to then Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, requesting permission to remain within the Krishna Menon Marg bungalow till April 30, 2025.
Within the letter, he talked about that though the federal government had allotted him one other bungalow—No. 14 on Tughlak Highway—renovation work there had been delayed as a consequence of pollution-related development restrictions below the Graded Response Motion Plan (GRAP-IV).
He wrote,
“It might be extra handy if I’m permitted to retain the prevailing lodging at 5 Krishna Menon Marg until 30 April 2025,”
and supplied to surrender the Tughlak Highway bungalow in order that it may very well be given to a different choose.
In keeping with Rule 3B of the Supreme Courtroom Judges (Modification) Guidelines, 2022, a retired Chief Justice is entitled to remain in Sort VII lodging—one stage beneath Sort VIII—for a most interval of six months.
Regardless of this, MoHUA allowed Justice Chandrachud to remain within the Sort VIII bungalow from December 11, 2024, to April 30, 2025, on the cost of ₹5,430 per 30 days as licence charges. This approval was formally conveyed to the Supreme Courtroom by a letter dated February 13, 2025.
Later, Justice Chandrachud made one other oral request to increase his keep till Could 31, 2025, which was agreed to by the then CJI with a situation that no additional extension can be permitted, particularly since different judges, who had been lately appointed, had been staying in visitor homes or ready for their very own official bungalows.
The Supreme Courtroom’s July 1 letter identified that the prolonged deadline had already handed, and Rule 3B permits solely six months of post-retirement keep in a Sort VII home—not Sort VIII—making Justice Chandrachud’s continued keep a violation of the principles.
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The letter additionally talked about that whereas the extension was earlier granted below “particular circumstances,” the understanding was that the residence can be vacated by the top of Could.
Now that the deadline is over, the court docket has formally requested the Ministry to
“take possession with none additional delay”
and ensure the identical to the court docket.
This formal request marks a uncommon occasion the place the Supreme Courtroom itself has intervened in a matter involving a former Chief Justice and demanded the return of its official residence.
Whereas it’s not uncommon for some leeway to be given to retired officers, a direct letter searching for instant possession is unprecedented.
Justice Chandrachud defined that the delay in transferring was as a consequence of particular wants of his household, particularly his daughters.
He mentioned,
“I’ve two daughters with particular wants, which is why it has taken me a while to search for a home acceptable for his or her wants,”
He additional revealed that each daughters endure from severe medical circumstances.
“My daughters have extreme comorbidities and genetic issues – significantly nemaline myopathy, for which they’re being handled by specialists at AIIMS. I completely perceive it’s my private situation. However I must also make it clear why it has taken me so lengthy to search for a home, and that is one thing I’ve already mentioned with the judges and the officers within the Supreme Courtroom.”
He assured that the difficulty can be resolved very quickly.
Justice Chandrachud mentioned,
“It’s a matter of just some days and I’ll shift… I’ve occupied the best judicial workplace and I’m fully cognisant of my duties. To make certain, former CJIs up to now have been allowed prolonged time to retain authorities lodging post-retirement, usually to facilitate transition or handle private exigencies,”
He additionally talked about that he had written a letter on April 28 to then CJI Justice Khanna to tell him that he was looking for an acceptable home as a consequence of his daughters’ particular necessities and had requested for an extension until June 30, 2025.
Click on Right here to Learn Earlier Studies on Former CJI DY Chandrachud
