Justice CS Karnan wants to tender unconditional apology in Supreme Court, says lawyer

The judge had on Thursday moved the court seeking recall of an order holding him guilty of contempt of court and sentencing him to a six-month jail term.

New Delhi, May 12: Calcutta High Court Justice CS Karnan wanted to tender an unconditional apology in the Supreme Court, said his lawyer adding that the court’s registry was not accepting his application. The judge’s lawyer has requested the apex court to stay his six-month jail term order.

The court asked the lawyer to file an application saying that he can be heard when judges are available.

The judge had on Thursday moved the court seeking recall of an order holding him guilty of contempt of court and sentencing him to a six-month jail term.

A petition on his behalf was mentioned before a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar, which agreed to look into it.

When the CJI asked about the whereabouts of Justice Karnan, Advocate Mathews J Nedumpara, who mentioned the plea on behalf of Justice Karnan, said he is “very much in Chennai”.

Nedumpara said that 12 advocates on record had refused to represent Justice Karnan.

The seven-judge bench of apex court had on May 9 passed the order sentencing Karnan to jail by holding him guilty of contempt of court and sentencing him to six months imprisonment, a day after he defiantly ordered eight apex court judges to be put behind bars. It had also ordered the West Bengal police to take him into custody forthwith.

The bench had initiated contempt of court proceedings against the judge after he repeatedly levelled allegations of corruption against Madras High Court chief justice and other judges.