Police in 3 states hunt for CS Karnan

Chennai: Defiant Calcutta high court judge C.S. Karnan kept several police teams from the three states of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh on their toes the whole of Wednesday as he evaded arrest by changing his location frequently since the morning.

Sentenced to six months’ imprisonment by the Supreme Court on Tuesday, when it convicted him of contempt, the judge left the Chepauk State Guest House on Wednesday morning and proceeded to Srikalahasti, a pilgrim town in Andhra Pradesh 120 km from Chennai, hours before a high-level West Bengal police team arrived in the Tamil Nadu capital.

The West Bengal police team, led by Raj Kanojia, DGP, Home Guards, waited in Chennai till evening, after which it went to Srikalahasti looking for Justice Karnan, but returned empty-handed along with a Andhra Pradesh police team, which was also looking for the judge in vain in the famous temple town.

Another Andhra Pradesh police team went to Tada and Sulurpetta in the state’s Nellore district looking for the renegade judge, who now appears to be on the run from the police.

The second Andhra police team also returned disappointed after gaining no clue about the judge’s whereabouts. Police sources said the team went to Tada after Justice Karnan’s mobile signal was spotted last near the Andhra Pradesh town close to the Tamil Nadu border. “Both his mobile phones were switched off,” sources said.

On its part, the Tamil Nadu police also sent teams to his son’s residence in Choolaimedu as well as his native place in Cuddalore district. At the time of going to press, police teams from three states were searching for Justice Karnan to enforce the order of the Supreme Court. Upon its arrival here, the West Bengal police officers held discussions with their Tamil Nadu counterparts on how to execute the arrest order, sources said.

Meanwhile, as a group of advocates protested outside the State Guest House alleging that Justice Karnan was being victimised, the Chennai police closed the main gate of the guest house to prevent any trouble.

This is the first time a sitting high court judge has been awarded a jail sentence by the Supreme Court on charges of contempt.  A seven-judge Constitution Bench, headed by Chief Justice J.S. Khehar, had also directed the media, both print and electronic, from publishing or airing the contents of any further orders passed by Justice Karnan in the wake of the order for his immediate arrest. “The sentence shall be executed and he be taken into custody forthwith,” the bench had said on Tuesday.

The Supreme Court had on May 1 ordered his medical examination on the ground that he was medically unfit to defend himself in the contempt proceedings that were initiated on February 8 for his letters to the Prime Ministers and other constitutional authorities seeking a probe against certain judges. Justice Karnan had, however, refused to undergo a medical test.