Served by top cops at his doorstep, Justice Karnan rejects SC warrant

The much-hyped contempt case against the sitting Calcutta High Court judge CS Karnan took a new turn on Friday with Justice Karnan rejecting a bailable warrant issued by the Supreme Court and handed over to him personally by a group of senior policemen at his residence.

That’s not all. Justice Karnan, even sought a compensation of Rs 14 crore from the seven Supreme Court judges for having stopped his judicial and administrative work.

The warrant had been issued by the apex court on March 10 in a suo motu contempt of court case for denigrating the judicial institution. Subsequently on Friday, Bengal’s Director General of Police Surajit Kar Purakayastha, Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar and DIG (CID) Rajesh Kumar visited Justice Karnan’s New Town residence to hand it over to ensure the latter’s appearance before the SC on March 31. A large contingent of police personnel was posted outside Justice Karnan’s residence when the three senior police officials visited the place.

However, in a letter to the seven-judge bench headed by CJI JS Khehar that initiated the suo motu contempt proceeding, Justice Karnan said that he rejected the warrant. “My Lords, your bailable order dated March 10, 2017 in the suo motu contempt proceedings, today top police officers from the Calcutta High Court Circle came to my residence in order to execute the bailable warrant earmarked for 10.30 am on March 31, 2017. I rejected the same after assigning valid reasons,” Justice Karnan wrote. He went on to add, “I request you to cancel the unconstitutional bench and restore my normal work.”

Justice Karnan, also sought a compensation of Rs 14 crore from the seven judges of Supreme Court for having stopped his judicial and administrative work. “Therefore I am calling up on all seven Judges to pay compensation, a sum of Rs 14 crore as compensation since you have disturbed my mind and my normal life, besides you have insulted me in the general public consisting of a population of 120 crore in India...,” Justice Karnan said in his letter, adding, “Now all seven Judges shall pay a part of the compensation within a period of seven days from the date of receipt of this order.”

Justice Karnan had earlier alleged that he was being targeted for being a Dalit.