The Supreme Court will start contempt proceedings against a sitting Calcutta high court judge who, a few months back, slammed his colleagues with allegations of corruptions. A bench of seven judges headed by the Chief Justice of India JS Khehar was set on Wednesday morning to issue a directive against Justice CS Karnan. This is the first time that such orders have been passed by a sitting judge of the high court. The SC is likely to issue a notice to Karnan, summoning him in person after charging him with obstructing dispensation of justice, sources said.
Karnan alleged that he was under prosecution because he is Dalit. As the SC challenge the High court judge, he will have to appear in the top court on February 13 to argue the case himself. Karnan came into news after he sent a controversial letter to the PM on January 23rd. The letter said, “high corruption in the judiciary is still being perpetrated in an arbitrary fashion and without fear.” The letter also contained a name of a high court CJ who is due for elevation to the SC.
Justice Karnan also in response to CJI, asked him “not to interfere” with his jurisdiction. He questioned the CJI’s authority to issue transfer orders for “better administration”. Soon after the allegation, the High court registry submitted a request to prohibit Karnan from issuing offensive orders. The SC directed the judge not to pass judicial orders on his own and imposed a blanket stay on all directions issued by him after his transfer.
Days later, Justice Karnan wrote a letter to the CJI and blamed his actions on “loss of mental balance due to mental frustrations” over alleged caste bias he faced in the HC.
