Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma refused to step aside from the excise policy case, asserting her duty and rejecting allegations of bias. She warned that allowing such pleas without grounds would damage the credibility of the judiciary.
CJAR has raised concerns over the use of state-sponsored and private aircraft for official travel by the Chief Justice of India and several Supreme Court judges. The group warned that such arrangements by governments that frequently litigate in the Supreme Court may raise questions about judicial propriety and public perception of independence.
Former Chief Justice of India Bhushan Gavai said there is nothing wrong if a retired CJI associates with political parties, as judges also carry lifelong values and ideologies. He clarified that his own judicial decisions were rooted only in constitutional principles, not in expectations of post-retirement benefits.