Justice Chandrachud clarifies extended stay at official residence not indefinite

Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, who served as the 50th Chief Justice of India, clarified on Sunday that he has no intention to “stay endlessly” at 5, Krishna Menon Marg, the designated residence of the Chief Justice of India.

The former Chief Justice, who retired in November 2024 after a two-year tenure—the longest in a decade—was responding to media reports that the Supreme Court administration had written to the government urging that possession of the residence be taken from him “without any further delay.”

“We are not here to stay on endlessly. I had made it clear that I am not going to stay endlessly,” Justice Chandrachud told The Hindu.

He said he had offered to return to his previous transit accommodation at 14, Tughlaq Road following his retirement and had communicated the same to his immediate successor, Justice Sanjiv Khanna.

“I had never moved out of my transit accommodation after being appointed as a Supreme Court judge in May 2016 until I was appointed Chief Justice of India. Justice Khanna had said that since he had such a short tenure [of six months], he was not planning to shift to the official residence of the CJI and I could stay on. He said he could use the transit home to accommodate some other judge. He also did not want the CJI residence to be locked up for the next six to seven months. Justice Gavai too had made it clear that he would not shift to 5, Krishna Menon Marg because of his short tenure. Justice Khanna had eventually allowed me to stay in the house till April 30, 2025,” Justice Chandrachud said.

He added that on April 28, he had written to Justice Khanna seeking an extension, as he had been looking for rented accommodation in Delhi since January.

“Our real challenge is we have two children who have special needs. They need ramps. Even to enter the bathroom, we need doorways wide enough to accommodate their wheelchairs. The girls are 16 and 14. They want to do everything on their own. We had found it extremely difficult to find anything in Delhi at that time. Modern flats have doorways two or two-and-a-half feet wide, not broad enough to enter with a wheelchair… The children are the most beautiful part of our lives… I am surprised that people do not think of these things. Forget somebody having special needs children, what about aged parents who need extra effort for mobility?” Justice Chandrachud said.

He said that his daughters, Priyanka and Mahi, suffer from a rare genetic condition called nemaline myopathy and receive treatment at AIIMS. The family recently had to set up a basic ICU facility at home after his elder daughter experienced severe respiratory distress during a trip to Shimla and was admitted to the ICCU for 44 days.

Justice Chandrachud said he had not received a response from Justice Khanna to his April 28 letter, and Justice Khanna had since retired in May 2025. Meanwhile, the government had allotted him alternate accommodation at Teen Murti Marg.

“This house was earlier in the Supreme Court pool. The court had returned it as no judge was willing to occupy it as its repair and renovation would take time. The government told me that the Public Works Department would do the essential repairs and give me possession by June 30,” he said.

He added that he had explained his situation to a Registrar of the Supreme Court during the last week of June, noting that he could not commit to a private lease for a year when he would only need accommodation for about a month.

“I explained that since I have been allotted a government house, I cannot look for a private house because any landlord would want a lease for a year. I cannot afford the luxury of taking a house for a year when I am likely to occupy it only for a month [till the renovation of the allotted house was completed],” he said.

Despite these constraints, Justice Chandrachud said he had explored serviced accommodations and even approached hotels for long-term stays, but accessibility remained a concern.

“But there are steps and no ramps. That meant we had to lift the girls whenever we had to take them in or out of a serviced accommodation. Sometimes, we have to take them in the middle of the night if there is an emergency and when there is not enough staff… Now, the house allotted by the government is almost ready. We are looking at a week or 10–15 days more. It is taking a little longer, but it is not open-ended. We are all packed,” he said.

Justice Chandrachud said he had not yet received any communication from the government regarding the Supreme Court’s letter. He added that providing an extension or alternate accommodation to a former Chief Justice should not be viewed as a “big favour”.

“As judges, we are focussed on our work till the last day of our tenure. You live your life as a judge for so many years that it takes time to make your arrangements unless you already have a house somewhere in town,” he said.

He referred to instances of former Chief Justices and Supreme Court judges who stayed on in government accommodations beyond retirement. Under Rule 3B of the Supreme Court Judges (Amendment) Rules, 2022, a retired CJI may be allotted a Type VII bungalow - a level below the Krishna Menon Marg residence - for a maximum of six months.

Referring to one such instance, Justice Chandrachud said, “I just want now to have some breathing space to find out what my paying capacity to find a rental accommodation really is… When you retire there will be a lot of people who will say you will do very well as a consultant or arbitrator, but you know ultimately you are in a marketplace of professional services. I am not a born Delhiite, I am an outsider. Will I be accepted? What is the kind of work I will get? What is the income I can generate to find a place? Where can I afford?”