Supreme Court orders six month jail to Justice CS Karnan for contempt of court

NEW DELHI: For the first time in the history of Indian Judiciary, the Supreme Court on Tuesday send Justice CS Karnan, the sitting judge of Calcutta High Court to jail for six months after holding him guilty for the contempt of court.

A seven judge bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar said, "Contempt has no colour, no individual, no public, no private. We can't distinguish. If he is not sent to jail, there will be blemish that we condoned contempt by a judge."

"We are of the unanimous view that judiciary and judicial process of the gravest nature in the present case," the bench said while asking the DGP, Calcutta to constitute a committee and arrest Justice Karnan forthwith.

The judicial bench also restrained print and electronic media from publishing any statements made by the Calcutta High Court judge.

The order comes days after the apex court had called for medical examination of Justice Karnan, which he denied stating he was of sound mind and the team of doctors too did not opine otherwise.

The court also took exception of the orders passed by Justice Karnan yesterday when he sentenced seven judges including CJI Khehar to five years of imprisonment under the SC/ST act and termed it the "gravest form of contempt."

Justice Karnan was earlier facing contempt proceedings for accusing a number of judges of corruption. Justice Karnan is scheduled to retire in June this year.