The Crossbill News Desk
The official residence of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) at 5, Krishna Menon Marg in New Delhi’s prestigious Lutyens Bungalow Zone (LBZ) is set to lose its long-held status.
For nearly two decades, the bungalow has served as the designated home of the country’s top judge. However, The Wire reported, citing its sources in the government, that the next CJI, Justice Surya Kant, is unlikely to move into the property and may continue to stay in his current accommodation.
According to the report, the bungalow has already been allotted to Justice Vikram Nath, who will succeed Justice Kant as CJI. Justice B.V. Nagarathna, who will become India’s first woman Chief Justice after Justice Nath’s retirement, is also not expected to shift into the residence, given her brief tenure of just over a month in the post.
This trend marks a departure from the traditional use of the official CJI residence. In recent years, neither Justice Sanjiv Khanna nor the incumbent Chief Justice B.R. Gavai opted to live in the designated bungalow.
Former CJI D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice Khanna’s predecessor, continued to occupy 5, Krishna Menon Marg for an extended period after his retirement, vacating it only after controversy erupted over his stay beyond the permissible timeframe.
Sources further revealed that Justice Kant has also shown no interest in retaining 7, Krishna Menon Marg — another prominent bungalow in the LBZ — for official purposes. Since the tenure of Justice S.A. Bobde, the bungalow has been functioning as the CJI’s secretariat-cum-office, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a shift to remote work and virtual court hearings. A section of the Supreme Court’s Confidential Branch, responsible for handling appointments and complaints, also operates from this premises.
The government has been urging the apex court to relocate this branch to the Supreme Court Annexe building, which reportedly has sufficient space.
Once Justice Kant assumes office, he is expected to relinquish the use of 7, Krishna Menon Marg for administrative functions, after which it may be allotted as a residence to another Supreme Court judge.
Officials have attributed the move partly to the acute shortage of Type VIII bungalows in the Lutyens zone — the category of government accommodation meant for sitting judges of the Supreme Court.
The scarcity has, in several recent instances, compelled judges to stay temporarily in the Supreme Court guesthouse, state government guesthouses, or smaller Type VII bungalows while awaiting suitable housing.
The shortage has persisted even after the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court was increased from 31 to 34 judges in 2019, limiting the government’s ability to add more residences to the Supreme Court’s housing pool.
For nearly two decades, the bungalow has served as the designated home of the country’s top judge. However, The Wire reported, citing its sources in the government, that the next CJI, Justice Surya Kant, is unlikely to move into the property and may continue to stay in his current accommodation.
According to the report, the bungalow has already been allotted to Justice Vikram Nath, who will succeed Justice Kant as CJI. Justice B.V. Nagarathna, who will become India’s first woman Chief Justice after Justice Nath’s retirement, is also not expected to shift into the residence, given her brief tenure of just over a month in the post.
This trend marks a departure from the traditional use of the official CJI residence. In recent years, neither Justice Sanjiv Khanna nor the incumbent Chief Justice B.R. Gavai opted to live in the designated bungalow.
Former CJI D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice Khanna’s predecessor, continued to occupy 5, Krishna Menon Marg for an extended period after his retirement, vacating it only after controversy erupted over his stay beyond the permissible timeframe.
Sources further revealed that Justice Kant has also shown no interest in retaining 7, Krishna Menon Marg — another prominent bungalow in the LBZ — for official purposes. Since the tenure of Justice S.A. Bobde, the bungalow has been functioning as the CJI’s secretariat-cum-office, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a shift to remote work and virtual court hearings. A section of the Supreme Court’s Confidential Branch, responsible for handling appointments and complaints, also operates from this premises.
The government has been urging the apex court to relocate this branch to the Supreme Court Annexe building, which reportedly has sufficient space.
Once Justice Kant assumes office, he is expected to relinquish the use of 7, Krishna Menon Marg for administrative functions, after which it may be allotted as a residence to another Supreme Court judge.
Officials have attributed the move partly to the acute shortage of Type VIII bungalows in the Lutyens zone — the category of government accommodation meant for sitting judges of the Supreme Court.
The scarcity has, in several recent instances, compelled judges to stay temporarily in the Supreme Court guesthouse, state government guesthouses, or smaller Type VII bungalows while awaiting suitable housing.
The shortage has persisted even after the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court was increased from 31 to 34 judges in 2019, limiting the government’s ability to add more residences to the Supreme Court’s housing pool.
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