SC declines hearing on Justice Karnan's bail plea

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a plea for a hearing on the bail of Calcutta High Court Judge Justice (Retd.) C.S. Karnan.

Justice Karnan had moved the apex court seeking his release and cancellation or suspension of the jail sentence in the contempt of court case.

Karnan who has been recently been arrested in pursuance of the apex court order awarding him 6 months, has requested early listing of his bail application.

His counsel conveyed to the top court that Karnan is already serving the jail term awarded to him, so his application has to be heard at the earliest.

Justice Karnan is facing jail term in contempt of court case and was arrested by the Kolkata Police in Coimbatore.

Earlier on June 7 as well, the apex court refused to grant relief to Justice Karnan in the contempt of court case where he was sentenced to six-month imprisonment.

The apex court earlier on May 19 rejected Justice Karnan's plea for recall of the six-month jail term for contempt of court, stating that the petition was "not maintainable" in the court.

"I am constrained, but to hold that the present writ petition is not maintainable. The relief, if any, lies somewhere else. I, thus, see no reasonable cause to receive the present writ petition for registration under the provisions of order XV, rule (5) of the Supreme Court rules, 2013," the Supreme Court Registrar said in the order.

The top court had taken suo motu cognizance of numerous letters written by him against judges of the Madras High Court and the apex court and restrained him from exercising administrative and judicial powers from February 8.

Karnan is the first ever sitting judge of a higher court in judicial history to be sentenced to jail term.

-ANI