New Delhi: For almost the last two decades, 5, Krishna Menon Marg in New Delhi's Lutyens Bungalow Zone (LBZ) has been the designated official residence of the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

The bungalow is soon likely to lose the prestige associated with the tag of being the official residence of the CJI.

Sources in the government told this reporter that it has been indicated to it that the next CJI, Justice Surya Kant, is likely to continue staying in his current house and isn't inclined to move into the bungalow.

In fact, sources say the designated bungalow has already been allotted to the judge who will succeed Justice Kant as CJI – Justice Vikram Nath.

Since Justice B.V. Nagarathna, who will be the first woman CJI on Justice Nath's retirement, will have too short a tenure – just over a month – as CJI, even she may not move into 5, Krishna Menon Marg.

In fact, it isn't just Justice Kant who won't reside in the designated residence of the CJI. In recent times, neither Justice Sanjiv Khanna nor his successor and current CJI B.R. Gavai shifted into the official residence.

For a long time after his retirement – almost till Justice Khanna was CJI – former CJI D.Y. Chandrachud, Khanna's predecessor, occupied the coveted bungalow, which he vacated only after controversy arose about him staying in the house beyond the allowed time-frame.

Sources in the government told this reporter that the next CJI has also indicated that he is not keen to retain 7, Krishna Menon Marg, another Lutyens's bungalow, for his office use.

Successive CJIs, starting with Justice S.A. Bobde – much of whose term coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, when work-from-home became the rule and courts functioned mostly in online mode – have been using 7, Krishna Menon Marg as the CJI's secretariat-cum-office.

Part of the Supreme Court's Confidential Branch, which deals with appointments and complaints, is also housed in this bungalow.

The government has been pushing the Supreme Court to shift this branch to the Supreme Court Annexe building, which has ample space.

Sources say once he takes over as CJI, Justice Kant may not retain this house for official use and it may be allotted to a judge of the Supreme Court for his residential use.

There is a shortage of Type VIII bungalows, which are normally allotted to sitting judges of the top court for residential purposes, in the LBZ and there are several instances in recent times of Supreme Court judges, after their elevation to the top court, being forced to stay put in the Supreme Court guesthouse or the guesthouses of various state governments.

In some cases, judges have even stayed for long-ish durations in smaller Type VII bungalows while awaiting an allotment of residential premises suitable to their status.

Due to the shortage of an adequate number of Type VIII bungalows, the government has not been able to transfer more bungalows to the Supreme Court pool even after the strength of Supreme Court judges was raised from 31 to 34 in 2019.

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