Citing the lack of housing for its judges, the Supreme Court Administration has demanded a holiday and withdrawal of the bungalow allotted to former Chief Justice Dye Chandrachud of India, while he was in the office in his residence pool.
In a letter of July 1 to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Supreme Court administration said that the time for the former CJI to vacate the official residence had already expired.
Supreme Court Judge Rules, Rule 3B of 2022, allows retired CJI to maintain their bungalow for six months after retirement after retiring retired CJI. Currently, 5, Krishna Menon Marg, is named as the official residence of CJI.
Justice Chandrachud, who retired as CJI in November 2024, wrote to his successor Justice Sanjeev Khanna on December 18, 2024, in search of time till 30 April, 2025, to vacate the place, and was allowed.
On 28 April, Justice Chandrachud again wrote to CJI Khanna, demanding time till June 30, citing difficulty in finding a suitable habitat, which will also meet the needs of his two daughters with special needs.
Arrived for the comments, Justice Chandrachud said that he received no response to that communication on 28 April. He said that he also had a telephone conversation with CJI Bra Gavai, and informed him that the government had allotted a accommodation on rent. He said that due to some repair, the contractor promised to hand over it by June 30.
“This is now only a matter of a few days and we are waiting for the word right from the contractor. Probably some work and that’s why it was delayed,” he said.
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Justice Chandrachud said that the accommodation allotted to him was in a position to humiliate for almost two years, and that is why the repair has to be done. He said that “the grant of expansion (for judges to stay in his official residence) is not an extraordinary thing”.
He said that he was earlier staying at 14, Tughlaq Road residence, which is a transit house for judges and had decided against going out of there even after becoming a CJI as the family had liked the place.
Justice Chandrachud said, “But a few months after becoming a CJI, I realized that this place is very small for official work. Nevertheless, I went on 5, Krishna Menon Marg, only one year after becoming a CJI,” said Justice Chandrachud.
He said that when he became a judge of the Supreme Court, he was living in the Uttar Pradesh Sadan for about six months before he was allotted a bungalow.
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Meanwhile, Supreme Court sources said that the court always demands accommodation for judges, with the court working with 33 judges.
Sources said that the Supreme Court administration is waiting for the response of the letter sent on 1 July.
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