Calcutta HC Judge rejects apex court’s warrant in contempt case

Calcutta High Court. (File)

AMID HIGH drama, Calcutta High Court Judge C S Karnan on Friday refused to accept the bailable warrant issued against him by the Supreme Court for contempt of court. A team of police officials, led by West Bengal Director General of Police Surajit Kar Purkayastha, went to Karnan’s residence today to serve the warrant. According to a PTI report, Karnan “rejected” the warrant and handed over a note to the seven-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India J S Khehar which initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against him. “My Lords, your bailable order dated March 10, 2017 in the suo motu contempt proceedings… today, top police officers from the Calcutta High Court Circle came to my residence in order to execute the bailable warrant earmarked for 10:30 am on March 31, 2017… I rejected the same after assigning valid reasons,” he said in the note.

Speaking to The Indian Express, W Peter Ramesh, Justice Karnan’s lawyer and president of the Tamil Nadu High Court Advocates’ Association, said: “The DGP of West Bengal Police, other senior state police officers and a Superintendent of Police SP from Tamil Nadu, along with more than 20 police personnel, came to Justice Karnan’s residence today to hand him the warrant. However, he refused to accept it… Behind the letter, we, the counsels, have written that we are refusing the issuance of warrant.”

Ramesh said Karnan would be leaving for Tamil Nadu in the evening.

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Last week, the Supreme Court had issued a bailable warrant against Karnan to ensure his appearance before it on March 31 in a contempt case, regarding his “scurrilous” letters against sitting and retired High Court and Supreme Court judges. Defying the order, Karnan had said the apex court had “no locus standi” to issue a bailable warrant against a sitting judge and alleged that he was being targeted as he was a Dalit.

On Thursday, Karnan wrote a letter to the seven-judge bench demanding Rs 14 crore as compensation for “disturbing his mind and normal life”.