Justice Karnan Likely to Move SC Against His Conviction

Justice CS Karnan, who has been convicted and sentenced by Supreme Court (SC) of India for contempt of court, is likely to move the court seeking the recall of 9 May order of Supreme Court, Live Law reported.

The SC on 9 May held Justice Karnan guilty of contempt and sentenced him to six-months imprisonment, a day after the Calcutta High Court judge defiantly ordered eight apex court judges to be put behind bars.

However, West Bengal Police was unable to find Justice Karnan in Tamil Nadu or in Andhra Pradesh. His lawyer, W Peter Ramesh, told The Hindu that he may or may not be out of the country and refused to clarify if the judge had left the country.

He wants to prepare an appeal to the President of India. Until the final orders are passed by the seven judges when it can be reviewed by him, he wants an interim bail. He also wants the President to forward his complaint, which is lying before him neither accepted nor rejected, to Parliament for impeachment proceedings for himself. W Peter Ramesh told The Hindu

Justice Karnan, on warpath with the Supreme Court for the last several months, would be the first sitting judge of a high court to be sent to jail. He was due to retire next



month.

The bench, which was led by Chief Justice of India Khehar, comprised senior-most judges Justices Dipak Misra, J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, MB Lokur, PC Ghose and Kurian Joseph. The bench said it was satisfied that Justice Karnan be sentenced for six months in jail.

Justice Karnan had "sentenced" CJI Khehar and seven other apex court judges to five-years imprisonment after he "found them guilty" under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989) and the amended Act of 2015.

The seven-judge constitution bench had initiated contempt of court proceedings against Justice Karnan after he repeatedly levelled allegations of corruption against Madras High Court chief justice and other judges.

On 31 March, Justice Karnan had appeared in the Supreme Court in the contempt case, a first in Indian judicial history, and sought restoration of his powers as a precondition for his re-appearance, but the plea was rejected.

A belligerent Justice Karnan had told the court he would not appear before it again even if he was arrested and put in jail. Justice Karnan was transferred from the Madras HC for his repeated allegations and run-ins with its chief justice and fellow judges.