New Delhi, 2 Aug

Former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has vacated the official residence of the head of the judiciary in the national capital.

Justice Chandrachud, who was the 50th Chief Justice of India, had superannuated from the office on 8 November, 2024.

Recently, a controversy had arisen over his stay at the official residence of CJI at 5, Krishna Menon Marg, New Delhi, beyond permissible time.

Talking to the PTI on 7 July, Justice Chandrachud had cleared the air saying that his luggage was packed and he, along with his wife and children, would soon move to a paid government accommodation.

Justice Chandrachud, his wife Kalpana and daughters Priyanka and Mahi, both of whom are persons with disabilities, were living in the official CJI residence.

"We have actually packed up our luggage. Some of the luggage is already gone to the new house and some are kept here in the storeroom," Justice Chandrachud had said while elaborating on the reasons for his overstay.

He was responding to the Supreme Court administration's communication to the Central government on his purported overstay in the official bungalow. The former CJI had bemoaned the controversy and referred to the medical condition of his daughters, who required a wheelchair-friendly home, and said that he was waiting for the new home to be ready for occupation.

Referring to the sequence of events, Justice Chandrachud had said that he spoke to his successor CJI Sanjiv Khanna and told him he would return to 14, Tughlaq Road bungalow, where he lived before becoming the CJI.

Justice Khanna, however, asked Justice Chandrachud to continue staying in the CJI bungalow as he did not want to shift to the official residence.

On 1 July, the Supreme Court administration wrote to the Centre stating that Justice Chandrachud had stayed in the CJI bungalow beyond the permissible period and sought the property to be vacated.

In the communication sent to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the Supreme Court administration had said the residence designated for the sitting Chief Justice of India ought to be returned to the court's housing pool, sources said.

The letter requested the MoHUA secretary to take possession of the bungalow from the former CJI without any further delay as the permission granted to him for retention of the accommodation expired on 31 May, while the prescribed six-month period of further stay under the 2022 Rules ended on 10 May.

Under Rule 3B of the Supreme Court Judges (Amendment) Rules, 2022, a retired Chief Justice of India can retain type VII bungalow, a level below the 5, Krishna Menon Marg bungalow, for a maximum period of six months after retirement.