Swinging into action after the Supreme Court ordered the arrest of Calcutta High Court Judge C.S. Karnan, top police officers of West Bengal reached Chennai on Wednesday morning and mounted a search for him.
Some members of the team went to Srikalahasti, in Andhra Pradesh, while the rest camped in the city. The team also searched for him in Tada and surrounding areas.
Intelligence sources told The Hindu : “We have launched a manhunt to arrest him but his whereabouts are not known. So far, he is not traceable.”
A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice J.S. Khehar, on Tuesday held Justice Karnan guilty of “contempt of court, judiciary and judicial process of the gravest nature” and sentenced him to six-month imprisonment. The Bench ordered the West Bengal police to execute its order immediately. The contempt proceedings were initiated in February for his derogatory letters against sitting and retired High Court and SC judges.
His letters to the Prime Minister accused several retired and sitting Supreme Court and High Court judges of corruption.
Following the Supreme Court’s order, a police team went to arrest him in Kolkata, but he was not at home. He came down to Chennai on Tuesday and had convened a press conference at the Government State Guesthouse to explain the order he passed recently against some members of the higher judiciary. That was his last public appearance. The police said he reportedly told persons close to him that he would visit Srikalahsti, the temple town.
On Wednesday, a team of police officers, led by West Bengal Director-General of Police Surajit Kar Purkayastha, came down to Chennai. The officers held a meeting with Commissioner of Police Karan Singha and others.
Sources said the police were trying to trace his whereabouts by tracking calls made to or from his mobile phone.
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi president Thol. Thirumavalavan said the Supreme Court must reconsider its order. In a statement, he said the order created ripples in the country as the Supreme Court itself had passed a gag order against the press. “With the government and fundamentalist forces already muzzling the voice of the press, the honourable judges of the Supreme Court must think about whether the order was right,” he said.
He said it was puzzling why the Supreme Court, which suspected that Justice Karnan had psychological issues, had passed such an order. “If Justice Karnan committed a mistake, he could be removed by Parliament after voting...”
Meanwhile, a section of advocates staged a protest in front of the State Guesthouse alleging that Justice Karnan had been victimised.
The city police deployed a posse of personnel around the Guesthouse to prevent any untoward incident.
