No relief to Justice Karnan, Supreme Court refuses to hear petitions seeking stay

The summer vacation bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to hear petitions filed by Justice C S Karnan. In two applications filed before the court, the Calcutta High Court judge had sought a stay on the order against him in a contempt case.

While Justice Karnan who has been sentenced to imprisonment is still in hiding, the vacation bench held that it could not hear the applications since the order in the contempt case had come from a special bench.

Justice Karnan's advocates had filed two applications in the Supreme Court. One seeking relief from the six months imprisonment in a contempt case and another stating that the apex court had no right to pass orders against him. The second petition appealed



that impeachment proceeding against Justice Karnan could only be done after consulting the parliament. The vacation bench refused to hear both petitions and observed that only the special bench can pass orders or grant relief in the matter.

A seven-judge bench including Chief Justice of India had found Justice Karnan guilty of contempt of court. The special bench had sentenced him to six months imprisonment after which the Calcutta high court judge went missing. On May 19, the Supreme Court had denied Justice Karnan's plea for recall of the sentence against him. The registrar had said that the petition was not maintainable. All set to retire on June 12, Justice Karnan continues to evade arrest and is in hiding.