Justice C S Karnan to observe hunger strikes in four cities

KOLKATA: Calcutta High Court judge Justice C S Karnan will observe hunger strikes in Delhi and three other cities demanding restoration of his administrative and judicial work and withdrawal of the suo motu contempt proceedings against him.

"Justice Karnan has decided to hold hunger strike at New Delhi in front of the Rashtrapati Bhawan or at Ramlila Maidan depending on the permission granted for the same," Justice Karnan's counsel W Peter Ramesh Kumar said.

He said the agitation would be held demanding "restoration of administrative and judicial work of Justice Karnan, which has been stopped since February 8, 2017."

"The agitation will also be on the demand for withdrawal of suo motu contempt proceedings against Justice Karnan and recall of warrant issued against him," Kumar told over phone from Madurai.

The agitation would also seek payment of compensation of Rs 14 crore as demanded by Justice Karnan in a letter to the seven-judge bench of the apex court on March 16.

The hunger strike in Delhi will be preceded by similar agitations in Chennai, Kolkata and Lucknow, Kumar said.

"In Chennai, the hunger strike will be observed opposite Fort St George, the state secretariat of Tamil Nadu. In Kolkata, it will be held opposite Raj Bhawan near Calcutta High Court, while at Lucknow, the strike will be observed opposite Lucknow University," he said.

The counsel said the dates for holding the hunger strikes were yet to be finalised.

"We are yet to decide whether to hold the agitations before March 31 or after, when the bailable warrant issued by the Supreme Court is returnable and the suo motu contempt is scheduled to be taken up," he said.