Stepping up his battle with the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of India, Justice CS Karnan, formerly of the Madras High Court, has sentenced the CJI JS Khehar and six other SC judges to five years of rigorous imprisonment, after finding them guilty under the SC/ST Atrocities Act.
#BREAKING Justice Karnan sentences CJI & 7 SC judges to 5 years of rigorous imprisonment for finding them guilty under SC/ST Atrocities Act pic.twitter.com/iidwdHqL6m
— News18 (@CNNnews18) May 8, 2017
The embattled Justice Karnan has been facing contempt of court proceedings over a letter to the Prime Minister accusing various judges and officers of the Madras High Court of corruption.
In the letter, Justice Karnan told the PM that the corruption charges could be proved if investigated by competent officers of the central agencies. The SC had issued a warrant on March 10 against Justice Karnan in relation to these contempt proceedings, the first such warrant issued against a sitting High Court judge.
The SC had also raised doubts about Justice Karnan’s mental health, and on May 1, had ordered that he undergo a medical examination.
This came after Justice Karnan passed an order “banning” the CJI and other judges of the bench hearing his contempt petition from travelling abroad.
The SC had also directed all courts in the country, and other authorities, not to take cognisance of any orders issued by Justice Karnan after February 8.
However, Justice Karnan responded by calling the SC order a “madman” order. “…the order which was passed today by Supreme Court was a ‘madman’ order.
They have lost their minds. Only those who are mentally unstable will pass such orders, it’s a mad order. I feel for them.
"The seven SC judges are not mentally stable. They need doctor’s help, I don’t. I am prosecuting them under SC/ST Act, so they are scared have lost their mind,” Justice Karnan told News 18. While a team of health professionals from the West Bengal Health Department reportedly went to Justice Karnan’s residence on May 5, along with police personnel, he refused to undergo the medical test, submitting a written statement on why he would not allow it.
Earlier, on May 2, Justice Karnan also issued non-bailable warrants against the SC judges hearing his case.