In a scathing letter addressed to Justice CS Karnan, senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Ram Jethmalani has called the Calcutta High Court judge a "lunatic" and has advised him to withdraw "every word that you have uttered".
"I am sorry to tell you that I am convinced you have lost your mind. Your behaviour is that of a lunatic and someday that may be the only defence available to you though with no bright chance of success," Jethmalani wrote in the letter dated March 11.
His letter comes just a day after the Supreme Court on Friday, in an unprecedented move, issued a bailable warrant against Justice Karnan for refusing to heed a summons to appear before the apex court. The seven-judge bench had asked the West Bengal Director General of Police to serve the bailable warrant personally to Justice Karnan and sought his presence before it on March 31.
Jethmalani went on to write, "As a senior member of the Bar and living in the departure lounge of God's airport I am advising you to withdraw every word that you have uttered and humbly pray for pardon for every stupid action you have so far indulged in."
The former BJP member also stated that the judiciary is the only protection that people have in our "corruption-dominated country" and that Karnan should neither destroy or weaken it.
"As a lawyer I have worked all my life for the backward classes and I have great concern and sympathy for them. But you are out to cause the greatest damage to their interests. Please listen to sensible advice of an old man who has hardly any concern other than service to the nation including the backward classes," he said.
Earlier, the Supreme Court bench had issued contempt notice to Justice Karnan for writing letters casting aspersions on several judges. It had also said Justice Karnan would not discharge any judicial and administrative functions during the pendency of the proceedings.
It is for the first time in the Supreme Court’s history that it has invoked powers to initiate contempt proceedings against a sitting judge of a High Court. This after Justice Karnan had in January named 20 "corrupt judges", seeking probe against them to curb "high corruption" in the Indian judiciary.
Following the issuance of a warrant against him, Karnan has said that he won't attend the contempt proceedings on March 31, and hit back by ordering the CBI to probe all the seven apex court judges in the constitution bench.
In perhaps another unheard step, Justice Karnan held a press conference - conveyed at a short notice - railing against the SC order, calling it an "attempt to ruin" his life as a Dalit judge, and directed that a case be filed under the SC and ST Act.
"It is unconstitutional... Only a motion of impeachment can be initiated against a sitting judge of the higher judiciary before the Parliament after due enquiry under the Judges Enquiry Act.
"Consequently I ask the President of India to recall the bailable warrant illegally issued by the Supreme Court today against me and lift non-work allotment ban of portfolio allocation," he said speaking to the media.
IANS inputs