SC issues contempt notice to Calcutta HC judge CS Karnan; directs him to refrain from taking judicial work

A seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a contempt notice to Calcutta High Court Judge CS Karnan, after taking suo motu cognisance of its contempt.

The seven-judge bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar heard the matter and Justices Dipak Misra, J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, MB Lokur, PC Ghose and Kurian Joseph heard the matter.

Justice Karnan had on February 15, 2016, stayed his transfer order after the apex court asked the chief justice of Madras High Court not to assign any judicial work to him. The same day the apex court had suspended Justice Karnan's order and made it clear that all administrative and judicial orders passed by him after the issuance of the proposal of his transfer from the Madras High Court to the Calcutta High Court shall remain stayed till further orders.

However, a week later, the judge had admitted that he had issued an "erroneous" order due to his "mental frustration resulting in the loss of his mental balance".

The court has asked Justice Karnan to appear in person before it on February 13 and directed him to refrain from taking judicial and administrative work. Justice Karnan is also directed to return all judicial and administrative files in his possession to Registrar General of the Calcutta High Court.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi termed the public communications of Justice Karnan as "slanderous" and "disparaging" to the system of administration of justice.

However, the Supreme Court said, "We must be as careful as we can. It has to be established whether Justice Karnan wrote those communications."