Justice Karnan moves SC seeking recall of conviction order; CJI Khehar to consider his plea

Calcutta High Court Judge C.S. Karnan (Photo: PTI/File)

New Delhi: Justice C S Karnan, the Calcutta High Court judge, on Thursday, moved the Supreme Court seeking a recall of an order holding him guilty of contempt of court. The SC had ordered his arrest and sentenced him to a six-month jail term. A petition for the recall was mentioned before a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar. The bench agreed to look into the same. Advocate Mathews J Nedumpara mentioned the plea on behalf of Justice Karnan. He was asked to show papers that authorised him to represent the judge and Nedumpara showed the notorised papers of authorisation for filing the plea on behalf of the judge to the bench. He was "very much in Chennai," said the advocate when asked about the whereabouts of Justice Karnan.

Justice Karnan is in Chennai, he is entitled to all constitutional and legal remedies: Counsel Mathews J Nedumpara pic.twitter.com/Fvm8myXTks

— ANI (@ANI_news) May 11, 2017

It may be recalled that the seven-judge bench of the apex court had passed an order on May 9 sentencing Karnan to jail by holding him guilty of contempt of court and ordering the West Bengal police to take him into custody. The state police are yet to arrest the judge. Recently, the apex court of the country directed medical examination of Calcutta High Court Justice C.S. Karnan, who has been on a confrontation with the Supreme Court. It also ordered that no authority should take cognisance of any orders passed by him. Headed by the Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, a seven-judge bench had directed the constitution of a medical board to examine Karnan on May 4. "The seven judges looking at my case are corrupt. Do you think that I have a mental problem? I have made my complaint against 20 judges under the law. Why are these seven judges taking a special interest in me?" Karnan had asked in response to the order. On May 8, before the next hearing of the matter on May 9, the medical evaluation was suppose to be submitted and the court had directed the West Bengal Director General of Police to constitute a team of police to assist the medical board in conducting the medical examination. No tribunal or authority in the country would take cognizance of any orders passed by Justice Karnan, SC had said. Justice C.S. Karnan is facing contempt charges. He is facing charges for degrading the judiciary and making allegations of corruption against SC judges. In a renewed confrontation, on April 13,  Justice Karnan had passed a "judicial order" against seven Supreme Court judges, including Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, for "violating" the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. He directed them to appear before him on April 28. Interestingly, in February, the seven judges had issued a suo motu contempt order against Karnan after he had in January named 20 "corrupt judges", seeking probe against them to curb "high corruption" in the Indian judicial system. Interestingly, in response to SC ordering an examination of his 'mental health', Justice C.S. Karnan on Monday asserted that he will issue a suo moto suspension order against WB DGP if he forcefully conducts a medical checkup. If the WB DGP comes to check his mental health forcefully, then he will issue a suo moto suspension order against him, said Karnan at a press conference. Further, Karnan asserted that the DGP should take all the seven accused judges for the medical test too. Before coming to check on him, the DGP should take all the seven accused judges and produce them to a psychiatric medical board to conduct a medical test, said Justice Karnan.