Justice Karnan’s Jail Term: SC Says He Has to be Seen as a Citizen

This comes a day after Karnan reportedly ordered a five-year jail sentence and fined the Chief Justice of India.

Justice CS Karnan. (Photo: IANS)

In an unprecedented order, the Supreme Court on Tuesday held controversial Calcutta High Court judge Justice CS Karnan guilty of contempt of court and sentenced him to jail for six months, ordering that he be taken into custody forthwith.

A seven-judge constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar, said “We are of the unanimous view that Justice CS Karnan committed contempt of court, contempt of judiciary and the process.” Karnan was accused of contempt after he named 20 “corrupt judges” of the country, seeking an investigation into the same.

This is the first time that a sitting high court judge is being sent to jail by the Supreme Court on charges of contempt.

“He has to be seen as a citizen of India and not as a judge. There is no colour or no judge, we can't distinguish the contempt , and not decide just on the fact that he is a sitting judge that we can't take action against him,” the Chief Justice of India, JS Khehar, said.

The bench also banned the media, both print and electronic, from publishing the contents of further orders passed by Justice Karnan.

Karnan Ordered a Five-Year Jail Sentence for the Chief Justice of India

This comes only a day after Karnan reportedly ordered a five-year jail sentence and fine for Chief Justice of India, JS Khehar, and seven other Supreme Court judges, finding them guilty under the SC/ST (Prevention Of Atrocities) Act.

Justice Karnan has repeatedly alleged that he is being harassed because of his status as a Dalit judge.

In January, Karnan wrote an open letter against the Madras High Court Chief Justice, addressing it to the CJI and the Prime Minister. He named 20 “corrupt judges”, seeking a probe against them to curb “high corruption” in the Indian judiciary.

The letter resulted in contempt proceedings against him. But neither Justice Karnan nor his lawyer showed up before the court when summoned.

Karnan had later asked the Chief Justice of India, and six judges of the Supreme Court, who have issued contempt notice to him, to appear before him at his "residential court", claiming that the seven judges of the bench have insulted him "wantonly and deliberately and with mala fide intention".

On 1 May, the apex court bench had ordered Karnan to undergo medical tests but Karnan refused to do so on 4 May, alleging a caste bias.

(With inputs from PTI.)