Send me to jail, Justice Karnan dares SC

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 31

Faced with contempt charge, controversial Calcutta High Court judge CS Karnan on Friday dared the Supreme Court to send him to jail after it refused to restore his judicial and administrative work.

“My lord, impose punishment on me... send me to jail. I will not appear on the next date,” Justice Karnan told a seven-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar after it refused to restore his judicial and administrative work withdrawn last month in view of the contempt proceedings.

“Unless you restore my work, I will not be normal,” Justice Karnan said, questioning the top court’s decision to impose what he termed as “punishment” without hearing him out.

“I am also holding a constitutional post. My dignity has been hurt and work has been taken away without hearing me,” Justice Karnan, who earned the dubious distinction of being the first sitting judge of a high court to appear as a contemnor before the top court, told the Bench.

At one point, the CJI asked Justice Karnan if he was mentally fit to understand the gravity of the contempt proceedings. Justice Karnan said his mental balance had been lost, prompting the CJI to say: “If you feel you are not mentally fit to answer the queries of court, you give us a medical certificate.”

The Bench finally gave him four weeks to firm up his response and file an affidavit as he gave conflicting answers to the questions posed by the Bench.

It asked him to be personally present on May 1, the next date of hearing, and advised him to engage a lawyer. After the hearing, Justice Karnan told mediapersons he would “order” the Supreme Court Registrar not to allocate any work to the seven judges, including CJI Khehar, as they were in contempt of his order.

Justice Karnan, who had earlier demanded Rs 14 crore in compensation from the seven judges on the Bench for disturbing his peace of mind, entered the court five minutes before the proceedings began at 10.30 am.