Supreme Court warns Justice CS Karnan for repeatedly sending his lawyer to court

New Delhi: Calcutta High Court Judge Justice CS Karnan was on Monday warned by the Supreme Court for sending his lawyer repeatedly to seek urgent hearing on his plea against the award of six month jail term, even warning that he could be thrown out of the court.

The apex court came down heavily against his lawyer Mathews J Nedumpara, who was told that he can be asked to be “thrown out” of the court for making it a habit to mention the matter “over and over again”.

“We are saying no and yet you (lawyer) continue to come again and again. You come five times or 20 times. But we are telling you that you are interfering with the process of the court. Everyday you are interfering with the process of court. “We are liberal to you. It is for you to understand, we can be liberal and harsh,” a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice JS  Khehar, which was hearing a batch of pleas on ’triple talaq’, said.

The remarks were made when Nedumpara, counsel for Justice Karnan, sought urgent hearing and setting up of the 7-judge bench which had held him guilty of contempt of court with six months imprisonment on 9 May. Nedumpara had mentioned the matter earlier, inviting strong remarks from the CJI.

“We have asked you to file your petition before the registry. If registry passes it, we will hear it. You have got a habit of coming over and over again. If you interfere with the process of law, we can ask you to be thrown out,” the bench had remarked.

Meanwhile, Justice Karnan has shot off letters to the president, the prime minister and others against his six-month jail term awarded by the apex court.

The CJI, on 12 May, had said that a “conscious decision” was taken by seven judges to sentence Justice Karnan to six months imprisonment by holding him guilty of contempt. Nedumpara, on that day, had mentioned the matter thrice without any success.

Justice Karnan had moved the apex court seeking recall of the order holding him guilty of contempt of court and sentencing him to a six-month jail term. The seven-judge bench of the apex court had on 9 May passed the order sentencing Karnan to jail by holding him guilty of contempt of court and sentencing him to six months imprisonment, a day after he defiantly ordered eight apex court judges to be put behind bars.

It had also ordered the West Bengal police to take him into custody immediately.

However, before the apex court had pronounced the order, Justice Karnan had left Kolkata and was reported to be staying in Chennai. The West Bengal police is yet to arrest him. Justice Karnan, who has been on a warpath with the Supreme Court for last several months, is the first sitting judge of a high Court to be sentenced. He is due to retire next month.