SC issues contempt notice to Calcutta High Court judge

New Delhi : In an unprecedented order, the Supreme Court on Wednesday issued contempt notice to Justice CS Karnan–a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court and ordered him to forthwith refrain from discharging any judicial or administrative functions. In a jampacked court, a seven-judge bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar asked him to forthwith return all judicial and administrative files to the high court registrar general. The bench ordered him to remain present before it on February 13 to explain why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him.During the hearing that lasted about half an hour, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said the communications sent by Justice Karnan were scurrilous and calculated to bring the judiciary into disrepute.He said the top court must set an example so that citizens get a message that the court would not hesitate in taking action against even its own.
The CJI said he had been receiving many letters from Justice Karnan and he recognised his signature.However, Justice Khehar said, “If he denies it, then it changes the whole scenario.”
Besides the CJI, other judges on the bench were the senior-most judges of the top court.
The judges on the bench are CJI JS Khehar, Justice Dipak Misra, Justice J Chelameswar, Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Madam B Lokur, Justice PC Ghosh and Justice Kurian Joseph.
Justice Karnan, who has been courting controversy for quite some time, sent a letter to the PM on January 23 stating that “high corruption in the judiciary is still being perpetrated in an arbitrary fashion and without fear”.