Justice Karnan questions contempt notice
Justice Karnan also faulted the order for not giving him sufficient time to give his reply.
New Delhi: Justice C.S. Karnan, Judge of the Calcutta High Court on Monday did not appear in the apex court as directed by a seven-judge bench on February 8 to answer the show cause notice slapped on him as to why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against him for maligning the judges.
In his reply sent to the Registrar General of the apex court through speed post, Justice Karnan questioned the authority and powers of the Supreme Court issuing notice to initiate contempt of court proceedings and said only Parliament has power to initiate action against a sitting High Court Judge. Justice Karnan also faulted the order for not giving him sufficient time to give his reply.
Taking note of it, a bench of Chief Justice J.S. Khehar and Justices Dipak Misra, J. Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B. Lokur, Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Kurian Joseph told Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, “He (Justice Karnan) has not said why he can’t appeal, nor he has sought time. We will give him one more opportunity.”
Judge’s wife plea against justice Karnan
The wife of a sitting Madras High Court judge on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking protection from “scurrilous attacks” by Calcutta High Court Judge Justice C.S. Karnan and charging him with “continously harrassing” her, her husband and their children.
In her plea, she said thet she was deeply aggrieved by the actions and conduct of Justice Karnan, who, she alleged, has been making false statements about her and baseless allegations against the sitting Judge.