Supreme Court orders medical examination of Justice CS Karnan’s mental health

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered a medical examination of Justice CS Karnan of the Calcutta High Court.

New Delhi, May 1: The Supreme Court on Monday ordered a medical examination of Justice CS Karnan of the Calcutta High Court. The court has ordered for a medical board to be constituted to examine Justice Karnan’s mental condition. The court had directed the medical board to examine Karnan on May 5 and submit the report on or before May 8. The next date of hearing in the case is May 18.

A seven-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar directed the constitution of a medical board to examine Justice Karnan. The court also directed that in the meantime, no tribunal or authority in the country would take cognizance of any orders passed by Justice Karnan.

The apex court had invoked its powers to initiate contempt proceedings against Justice Karnan for writing letters casting aspersions on several judges.

Earlier last month, Justice Karnan asked Chief Justice of India JS Khehar and six other Supreme Court judges to appear before him at his residential court on April 28. Justice Karnan claimed that the seven judges of the bench, who have issued contempt notice to him had insulted him “wantonly and deliberately and with malafide intention”.

“On 28.04.2017 at 11:30 am, the Hon’ble seven judges as mentioned above will appear before me at my Rosedale Residential Court and give their views regarding quantum of punishment for the violation of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Atrocities Act,” he said in a press briefing.

Justice Karnan has been accused of circulation of disparaging letters against sitting High Court judges of the Madras High Court, and he has also allegedly written about Supreme Court judges in his letters to the Prime Minister’s Office.