Calcutta High Court judge C.S. Karnan has “refused” to accept the bailable warrant issued against him by the Supreme Court in a suo motu contempt of court order. On Friday, a team of police officials led by the State’s Director General of Police (DGP) Surajit Kar Purkayastha went to Justice Karnan’s residence in the New Town area on the Eastern fringes of the city to hand over the warrant.
“But he refused to accept it,” said W. Peter Ramesh, the lawyer of the judge. Last week, Supreme Court issued a bailable warrant against him in a suo motu contempt of court case for denigrating the judicial institution. The Supreme Court also directed the West Bengal’s Director General of Police to serve the warrant to Justice Karnan.
“The DGP of West Bengal Police, ADGP of Intelligence-Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and an Superintendent of Police [SP] from Tamilnadu along with more than 20 police personnel came to Justice Karnan's residence today (Friday) to hand him over the warrant. But he refused to accept it,” Mr. Ramesh told The Hindu .
However, Additional Director General of CID Rajesh Kumar told The Hindu that Justice Karnan has “accepted” the warrant. “He gave his observation on the bailable warrant and accepted it,” Mr. Kumar said.
A seven judge Bench led by the Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar heard Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi who said that Justice Karnan should face contempt proceedings for his “scurrilous” letters against sitting and retired High Court and Supreme Court judges. He had written to the Prime Minister and accused several retired and sitting Supreme Court and High Court judges of corruption.
