Justice C S Karnan attends to chamber-related work at Calcutta HC

KOLKATA: Justice C S Karnan today went to his chamber at the Calcutta High Court for the first time since the Supreme Court withdrew the judicial and administrative works from him on February 8.

He came to the court at around 11 AM and went straight to his chamber where he attended to some chamber works, sources close to the development said.

Justice Karnan left the high court at 2 PM, they said.

The Supreme Court has initiated contempt of court proceedings against him, after he wrote to the Chief Justice of India, the Prime Minister and others the alleged open contemptuous letters against the chief justice of the Madras High Court.

Justice Karnan had on March 31 appeared in the Supreme Court in the contempt case against him, a first in the Indian judicial history, and sought restoration of his powers as a condition for his re-appearance, but the plea was rejected.

A seven-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar, granted him four weeks to respond to the contempt notice while refusing to restore his judicial and administrative powers as a serving high court judge.

The apex court had on March 10 issued a bailable warrant against Justice Karnan to ensure his presence before it in the contempt case.

The apex court bench of the Chief Justice, had taken a strong note of Justice Karnan's non-appearance despite being served with the contempt notice and asked the Director General of West Bengal police to execute the warrant to ensure his presence.