Supreme Court seeks urgent vacation of official CJI residence from ex-CJI Chandrachud
In a uncommon determination, the Supreme Courtroom administration has written a letter to the Central authorities in search of pressing trip of the Chief Justice of India’s official residence on the grounds that its present occupant, former CJI DY Chandrachud, has stayed there past the permissible restrict.
As per a number one English each day, the letter was written on July 1 by an Apex Courtroom official to the Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and City Affairs (MoHUA), in search of speedy possession of Bungalow No. 5 on Krishna Menon Marg in Lutyens’ Delhi, a sort VIII home, designated for India’s sitting CJI.
It stated former CJI Chandrachud retired on November 10, 2024. In December 2024, he sought permission to retain the bungalow from the then CJI Sanjiv Khanna, who agreed to the request.
The MoHUA then permitted Justice Chandrachud to retain the lodging from December 11, 2024, to April 30, 2025, on cost of licence charges of Rs 5,430 monthly. This was conveyed by the Ministry to the Supreme Courtroom by way of a letter dated February 13, 2025, it famous.
It stated Justice Chandrachud subsequently made an oral request to the CJI to proceed residing on the identical premises till Could 31, 2025, which was granted with a caveat that no additional extension could be allowed as different judges, elevated within the interim, have been residing in visitor homes or ready for a bungalow allotment.
The Apex Courtroom identified that because the permission to retain the official bungalow expired on Could 31, 2025, the home needs to be vacated instantly and returned to the courtroom’s housing pool.
Citing Rule 3B of the 2022 Guidelines, which permitted a retired Chief Justice to retain Sort VII lodging for a most of six months post-retirement, the letter stated that in case of Justice Chandrachud, this era additionally expired on Could 10, 2025.
On his half, former CJI Chandrachud informed the newspaper that the he was allotted an lodging by the federal government on lease and the identical was presently beneath renovation.
Justice Chandrachud stated he knowledgeable the Supreme Courtroom about this allotment, making it clear that he would shift the very subsequent day the home was prepared.
The previous CJI stated that the delay was partly triggered as a result of particular wants required for his two daughters.
Justice Chandrachud revealed that each his daughters had extreme comorbidities and genetic issues, significantly nemaline myopathy, for which they have been being handled by specialists at AIIMS.
It took him time to seek for a home that might deal with the particular wants of his daughters. The problem was already mentioned with the judges and officers within the Supreme Courtroom, he added.
The previous CJI maintained that the difficulty would quickly be resolved and that he
Noting that he was utterly cognisant of his tasks and obligations that got here with occupying the best judicial workplace, the previous CJI stated it was a matter of some days earlier than he shifted.
Justice Chandrachud stated prior to now, former CJIs have been allowed prolonged time to retain authorities lodging post-retirement, usually to facilitate transition or deal with private exigencies.
He additional cited an April 28 letter written to the then CJI Sanjiv Khanna, informing him that he was within the strategy of shortlisting lodging, given the particular wants of his daughters, in search of extension until June 30.
