Not only the CJI but the two other judges on the bench, Justices Kurian Joseph and R F Nariman, stopped the petitioner, who was arguing the mattter, to make such a submission.
"Constitution of India gives courage to judges. Even the CJI gets the courage from the Constitution," Justice Joseph observed when the petitioner said "the CJI is the only judge who has the courage to hear his matter".
The judges said they were hearing him only because of his elderly age.