Kolkata police reach Chennai to arrest Justice Karnan post SC order

Chennai: A Kolkata police team reached Chennai on Wednesday to arrest Calcutta High Court Judge Justice C S Karnan, a day after the Supreme Court of India sentenced him to six months' jail in a contempt case.

According to unconfirmed reports, Justice Karnan is at present not in Tamil Nadu but at Srikalahasthi in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. He is expected to return to Chennai this evening.

The judge was staying at a guest house after he arrived in Chennai on Tuesday before the apex court delivered its verdict.

Later, he addressed the media in his room.

The Kolkata police personnel have spoken to their Tamil Nadu counterparts on executing the arrest order, the local police said.

As a group of advocates protested outside the state guest house, alleging that Justice Karnan was being victimised, the police said they had closed the main gate to the state guest house to forestall trouble.

This is the first time that a sitting high court judge has been awarded a jail sentence by the apex court on charges of contempt.

A seven-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar, had also disallowed the media – print and electronic -- from publishing or airing the contents of further orders passed by Justice Karnan.

"The sentence shall be executed and he be taken into custody forthwith," the bench had said.