Overview
- A new statement released on 9 December by dozens of retired judges condemns what they call a motivated campaign against the Chief Justice, responding to a 5 December open letter by other former judges and advocates.
- Signatories, including former Supreme Court judges Anil Dave and Hemant Gupta, say the CJI’s remarks were foundational queries about legal status rather than expressions of bias.
- They note the Bench explicitly affirmed that no person on Indian soil may be subjected to torture, disappearance or inhuman treatment, calling omissions of this point a distortion.
- The statement argues that Rohingyas have not entered under any statutory refugee framework and stresses that India is not party to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol, with obligations instead arising from the Constitution and domestic laws.
- The group supports considering a court‑monitored Special Investigation Team to probe alleged illegal procurement of Aadhaar, ration cards and other Indian documents by foreign nationals.