HC judge orders non-bailable warrant against SC judges

Shubhadeep Choudhury

Tribune News Service

Kolkata, May 2

Sticking to his defiant stance, Justice C S Karnan of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday issued non-bailable warrant against seven Supreme Court judges, including the Chief Justice of India.

The warrant will have to be executed by May 5. Karnan directed the Registrar General of the Calcutta High Court to issue the non-bailable warrant to the “accused” through the DGP or the Commissioner of Police, New Delhi.

Karnan, a Dalit, had, on a suo motu order on April 13, summoned the Supreme Court judges to appear before him by April 28 for violation of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by them.

When the SC judges ignored the order, Karnan “reposted” the case to May 1.

The order passed by Karnan from his home today said, “Today the accused Judges 1 to 7 are called absent, no representation issue. Non-bailable warrant against the accused, call on 08.05.2017.”

“The Registrar General, High Court at Calcutta, is directed to issue the non-bailable warrant to the above named accused to be executed through the Director General of Police or Commissioner of Police, New Delhi”, the order by Karnan stated.

The judges listed by Karnan as accused are Chief Justice of India J S Khehar and Justices Dipak Mistra, J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur, Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Kurian Joseph.

Yesterday, the seven-judge bench of SC led by CJI passed an order asking for psychiatric evaluation of Karnan in a Kolkata hospital on May 4 and directed the DGP of West Bengal to assist in this matter.

The board has been asked to submit its report by May 8 and the matter has been posted for hearing on May 9.

The apex court yesterday also restrained all courts and tribunals from taking cognisance of any orders issued by judge Karnan since the start of contempt proceedings against him in February for various allegations made by Karnan against Supreme Court and Madras High Court judges.

Karnan had retaliated by “setting aside” the SC order which he described as “ridiculous”. In the order passed by him yesterday, Karnan further directed the chief of the police in Delhi to produce the seven accused judges including the CJI for examination by a psychiatric medical board attached to AIIMS, New Delhi.