Karnan asks SC for recall of its jail order

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 11

Having gone underground for two days, controversial Calcutta High Court Judge CS Karnan today approached the Supreme Court requesting it to recall its order sentencing him to jail for six months for contempt of court.

At the end of the hearing on triple talaq by a five-Judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar, advocate Mathews J Nedumpara mentioned Karnan’s plea and requested the CJI to recall the order.

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“What is your authority?” the CJI asked the lawyer who said he had a “wakalatnama” signed by Justice Karnan. He said advocates were so afraid of the court that no advocate on record was ready to sign the petition and, therefore, the Registry was not accepting it.

“Where is he? How has he authorised you, if he is not available?” the CJI asked.

Nedumpara said Justice Karnan signed it in Chennai.

The CJI said the petition would be considered in due course.

In an unprecedented order, the Supreme Court on Tuesday convicted Karnan of contempt of court and sentenced him to six-month imprisonment “forthwith”.

Taking note of his defiance and a series of orders passed by him against the apex court judges, a seven-Judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar held his conduct amounted to the “gravest” nature of contempt.

“We are of the unanimous opinion that Justice CS Karnan has committed contempt of this court, of the judiciary as also of the judicial process...of the gravest nature,” the Bench said.

The court directed the West Bengal Director General of Police to execute the order “forthwith”. But he has gone underground since then and the police were trying to locate him to execute the court’s order.

Justice Karnan has earned the dubious distinction of being the first sitting judge of a high court to be convicted of contempt of court and sentenced to a prison term.