‘Absconding’ Calcutta High Court judge CS Karnan to retire today

Born on June 12, 1955, Karnan became judge in March 2009 and will retire today.

New Delhi, June 12: Calcutta High Court judge CS Karnan, evading arrest since May 9, will retire on Monday. Justice Karnan failed to get relief from the Supreme Court, which had refused to hear his plea seeking a stay on its order awarding him a six-month jail term for contempt of court.

Born on June 12, 1955, Karnan became judge in March 2009 and will retire today.

A high court judge’s retirement is an august function, where he gets an opportunity to recall his feat during his innings as a member of the bench in a constitutional court, and the speech he delivers is recorded and included in the respective court’s history for posterity. But Justice Karnan will miss that opportunity.

On May 12, Justice Karnan, whom the West Bengal police is looking for, had moved the apex court for relief, saying neither high courts, nor their judges, were “subordinate” to it.

“The petitioner, a judge of the High Court of Calcutta, is not under any disciplinary jurisdiction of either the CJI or the bench of seven judges constituted by the CJI, as in the instant case,” the plea said.

He sought a recall of the apex court order awarding him six months’ imprisonment, saying he could not be held guilty of contempt of court.

Justice Karnan said the Contempt of Courts Act was a “cathartic jurisprudence which belonged to the Dark Ages, the era of inquisition and torture, distinct from the classical Roman Law which constitutes the foundation of modern jurisprudence”.

He also sought a stay on all “further proceedings” pursuant to the May 9 order.

With inputs from PTI