Supreme Court Seeks Ex-CJI Chandrachud’s Removal From Official Bungalow

In an unprecedented development, the Supreme Court administration has formally asked the Union government to ensure the “immediate vacation” of the official residence of the Chief Justice of India by its previous occupant, former CJI Justice DY Chandrachud, who retired nearly eight months ago.

Sources confirm that the Supreme Court registry wrote to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) on July 1, requesting it to take possession of Bungalow No. 5 on Krishna Menon Marg in Lutyens’ Delhi. The letter stated that the former CJI has overstayed well beyond an extended deadline that expired on May 31, 2025.

The issue has brought to light the fact that four sitting Supreme Court judges are currently without official accommodation, with some living in transit flats or state guest houses.

Justice Chandrachud, who served as the 50th CJI until his retirement in November 2024, has attributed the delay to compelling personal circumstances. He explained that an alternative government accommodation has been allotted to him on rent, but it is currently uninhabitable as it is undergoing extensive renovation after being shut for years.

The former CJI also cited the special needs of his two daughters, who require specific living arrangements and are undergoing treatment at AIIMS, as a reason for the time taken to find and prepare a suitable residence. “I have already been allotted an accommodation… I will shift the very next day that the house is ready. It is a matter of just a few days,” Justice Chandrachud said, affirming he is fully cognizant of his responsibilities.

According to the rules, a retired Chief Justice is entitled to retain a Type VII government bungalow for a maximum of six months post-retirement. The official CJI residence is a larger Type VIII bungalow.

Records show that just over a month after his retirement, Justice Chandrachud wrote to the then CJI, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, on December 18, 2024. He requested permission to retain the Krishna Menon Marg bungalow until April 30, 2025, explaining that renovation at his newly allotted residence on Tughlak Road was stalled due to pollution-related construction bans under GRAP-IV.

The request was approved by the then CJI and subsequently by MoHUA. A further informal request to stay until May 31 was also granted, with the clear understanding that no more extensions would be possible.

The July 1 letter from the Supreme Court administration underscores that both the extended timeline and the six-month statutory limit under the rules have now lapsed. The rare formal intervention highlights the administration’s need to reclaim the bungalow for the court’s housing pool. Justice Chandrachud’s successors, former CJI Sanjiv Khanna and the incumbent CJI Bhushan R Gavai, have both opted to remain in their existing official homes, which has so far prevented a direct housing crunch for the serving CJI.