Retired judges and senior lawyers write to CJI over remarks on Rohingya refugees

Retired High Court judges, senior advocates and legal scholars have penned an open letter to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant voicing exception to “unconscionable remarks” made from his Bench about Rohingyas while hearing a petition raising concern about the custodial disappearance of a group of them in India. During a December 2 hearing of the petition filed by activist Rita Manchanda, Chief Justice Kant was reported in the media as orally questioning the refugee status of Rohingyas and whether intruders ought to be welcomed with a red carpet. “When those who flee violence and persecution are dismissed with rhetoric that is hostile to their very dignity, it threatens the foundational values of our Constitution and undermines public faith in the courts as a refuge for the vulnerable… We t