Justice Karnan very much in Chennai, just avoids getting arrested by Kolkata police

Justice CS Karnan, recently sentenced to jail by the Supreme Court for contempt, came close to getting arrested this week.

But Karnan, who has called him the 'adopted son of Ambedkar', has left Tamil Nadu and Kolkata police forces guessing about his true location.

On Wednesday this week, a team from the Kolkata police reached Chennai after receiving information that Karnan was staying at a government guest house in Chepauk.

The police team received a lead on the same day. Karnan, through his personal security officer, informed the SP of Tamil Nadu Criminal Investigation Department (CID) that he planned to visit the Kalahasti temple near the Andhra border and and that he would return by 5pm that evening.

The Kolkata police team, however, did not wait for him to come back and instead left for Kalahasti with a few Tamil Nadu police officials in tow. Their secret weapon was to track a mobile phone number belonging to someone part of Karnan's party.

Justice Karnan's arrest was almost eminent with three teams placed at strategic locations, but it all came to a nought when the Andhra police informed the Kolkata police team that they had lost the mobile phone's signal. After traveling for two hours, the cops returned back to Chennai without nabbing him.

World also spread that Karnan had fled to Sri Lanka



through Madurai, but that information turned out to be false as no one by the name of Karnan had passed through the Madurai airport customs.

PETITION TO RECALL SC ORDER FILED

Meanwhile, a petition on behalf of Karnan has filed in the Supreme Court. The petition seeks to recall holding Karnan in contempt, a suspension of his jail sentence and requests interim bail on medical grounds. A mercy petition is also set to be filed with the President of India.

The petitions were filed along with an assurance that Karnan was very much in Chennai and had not fled India.

Can Karnan really be arrested? A retired judge says he can. "As per Article 124, a sitting judge can only be removed under tow conditions. Proved misbehaviour or incapacity to do his work. In Karnan's case it is no longer a removal. He has committed an offence for which he is being punished", a learned judge told India Today.

Under the Constitution only the President of India and state governors have immunity from civil and criminal proceedings, which means Karnan can be definitely arrested, the judge added.

Going on to address the media spectacle over the issue, the judge added, "When a dog bites a man it is not a news but when a man bites a dog, that become a news and that is what is happening now".