CHENNAI: A former judge of the Madras and Calcutta high courts, C S Karnan, was arrested by the Chennai police cybercrime wing for allegedly obscene and abusive social media posts against several judges and their family members.
The action comes two days after the Madras high court pulled up the Tamil Nadu DGP and Chennai commissioner of police and issued summons to them for their inaction against the retired judge even though three cases had been registered against him for a series of offensive posts.
On Wednesday, a police team picked up Justice Karnan (Retd) from his residence in Avadi and detained him at the commissioner’s office in Vepery. The police have registered a case against him for offences punishable under IPC Sections 509 (intending to insult the modesty of any woman, utters any words, makes any sound or gesture) and 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot).
Police said Karnan was later produced before a magistrate’s court and remanded in Puzhal prison.
In October, the Tiruvanmiyur police had registered a case against five men, without naming Karnan, for trespassing onto the residence of a former judge of the Supreme Court, R Banumathi, in Kalashetra Colony. He then allegedly started uploading video posts heaping abuse on serving as well as former judges of the Supreme Court and Madras high court.
In 2017, while he was a sitting Calcutta high court judge, Karnan was found guilty of contempt by the Supreme Court and sentenced to undergo six months’ imprisonment. He retired while in jail.