Kolkata: Virtually going on a war path with the Supreme Court, Calcutta high court judge Justice C.S. Karnan on Friday refused to accept the bailable warrant issued by the apex court against him in a contempt case. In the morning, West Bengal director-general of police (DGP) Surajit Kar Purkayastha, leading a 100-member police team, visited Justice Karnan’s residence in New Town to serve the warrant to him as directed by the SC.
The top cop was accompanied by Kolkata police commissioner Rajiv Kumar, additional director-general of police (criminal investigation department) Rajesh Kumar and Bidhannagar police commissioner Gyanwant Singh. Mr Purkayastha and the three other senior police officers entered the judge’s residence while the police team stood guard outside. The state DGP delivered the warrant to the judge surrounded by the other IPS officers and spoke to him for a while. After finishing his task, Mr Purkayastha left with his police team.
In a letter to the seven-judge bench headed by Chief Justice J.S. Khehar that has recently initiated a suo moto contempt proceeding and issued a bailable warrant against the high court judge, Justice Karnan, however, said that he has rejected the warrant. He wrote, “My Lords, your bailable order dated March 10, 2017 in the suo moto contempt proceedings, today top police officers from the Calcutta high court circle came to my residence in order to execute the bailable warrant earmarked for 10.30 am on March 31, 2017. I rejected the same after assigning valid reasons.”
Later, the 61-year-old judge said, “The whole world is laughing at our Supreme Court for the way it has been behaving with me.”
According to him, when the law takes its own course, he would also take legal steps to fight for himself. In an unprecedented order, the SC had issued the warrant against Justice Karnan directing him to appear before it on March 31 in a contempt case.
Countering the order of the apex court, Justice Karnan argued that there was “no locus standi” to issue the bailable warrant against a sitting judge of a high court. He claimed that he was being targeted for being a member of the dalit community. Justice Karnan also issued an “order” of registration of a case under Schedule Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 against Chief Justice of India Justice J.S. Khehar and six other judges.
