Supreme Court Demands Former Chief Justice DY Chandrachud to Vacate Official Residence
Supreme Court's Unusual Request
New Delhi: In a significant development, the Supreme Court's administration has reached out to the central government, requesting the eviction of the former Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, from his official residence located at Krishna Menon Marg. This action comes as it has been noted that he has exceeded the allowed duration of stay.
On July 1, the Supreme Court administration communicated with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), urging that the designated residence for the current Chief Justice, Bungalow No. 5 on Krishna Menon Marg, be vacated and returned to the court's housing pool.
The letter emphasized the need for the MoHUA secretary to reclaim the bungalow from the former CJI promptly, as the permission granted for his occupancy expired on May 31, 2025, along with the additional six-month period stipulated under the 2022 Rules, which ends on May 10, 2025.
According to Rule 3B of the Supreme Court Judges (Amendment) Rules, 2022, a retired Chief Justice is permitted to retain a type VII bungalow, which is a lower classification than the one at Krishna Menon Marg, for a maximum of six months following retirement.
Justice Chandrachud, who held the position of the 50th CJI from November 2022 to November 2024, continues to reside in the official Chief Justice's residence nearly eight months after leaving office.
His successor, former Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, opted not to occupy the official residence during his six-month term, while the current CJI, BR Gavai, has chosen to remain in a previously assigned bungalow.
On December 18 of last year, Justice Chandrachud had requested then-CJI Khanna for permission to stay in the Krishna Menon Marg residence until April 30, 2025, citing ongoing renovations at his newly allotted Bungalow No. 14 on Tughlak Road.
CJI Khanna approved this request, leading to MoHUA's consent for Justice Chandrachud to retain the type VIII bungalow at Krishna Menon Marg from December 11, 2024, to April 30, 2025, with a monthly license fee of approximately Rs 5,000.
The ministry communicated this approval to the Supreme Court administration via a letter dated February 13, 2025.
Later, Justice Chandrachud made an oral request to extend his stay until May 31, 2025, which was granted by CJI Khanna under the condition that no further extensions would be allowed, as new judges required accommodation.
The July 1 correspondence from the Supreme Court administration highlighted the violation of both the agreed timelines and legal stipulations, stating that the residence was allocated under 'special circumstances' with the understanding that it would be vacated by the end of May.
The letter urged the Centre to take possession of the official CJI bungalow without delay and to inform the Supreme Court accordingly.
Such a communication to the government regarding the eviction of a former CJI from their official residence is quite rare.
Sources indicate that many Chief Justices have been informally granted short extensions to remain in their official residences for a few months while they arrange alternative accommodations post-retirement.
Justice Chandrachud has previously informed the Supreme Court about the delays in vacating the Krishna Menon Marg residence, citing the need to make the Tughlak Road Bungalow suitable for his family, particularly for his two daughters with special needs who are receiving treatment at AIIMS.
He also communicated with then-CJI Khanna in April, stating that he was in the process of finding suitable accommodation that meets his daughters' special needs and requested an extension until June 30 to vacate the official residence.