Supreme Court Sentences Justice Karnan To 6-Month Imprisonment
Karnan is the first sitting judge in the history of India to be sentenced to jail.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday sentenced Calcutta High Court judge CS Karnan to six month’s jail term for contempt of court.
The apex court said Justice Karnan has attempted contempt of court, contempt of judiciary and judicial process of the gravest nature. This makes him the first sitting judge in the history of India to be sentenced to jail.
The order comes after a long-standing war between Justice Karnan and the apex court.
On May 1, the apex court ordered Karnan’s medical examination by a board of doctors to be set up by a government hospital in Kolkata to evaluate his mental health with police support. However, he declined to undergo a mental health checkup as ordered by the Supreme Court, telling a team of doctors he is "absolutely normal" and has a “stable mind”.
He subsequently ordered a medical test for the seven judge bench hearing the case, including the Chief Justice of India JS Khehar.
On Monday, Karnan had sentenced Chief Justice of India to a five-year jail term. During the hearing on Tuesday, the apex court also banned the media from publishing content of orders passed by Justice Karnan.
The top court had ordered that all judicial and administrative work be withdrawn from Justice Karnan in its first hearing on February 8. He was served a bailable warrant at his home in Kolkata on March 17.
Justice Karnan had rejected the warrant and filed two cases with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the seven-judge bench hearing his case and also against the Attorney General of India.
The contempt proceedings against Justice Karnan were initiated after he wrote public letters accusing members of the higher judiciary of corruption.
With inputs from PTI.