New Delhi: In the first of its kind move, the Supreme Court has issued a contempt notice to a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court.
A seven judge bench of the Apex Court initiated contempt proceedings against Justice C S Karnan and took away all his judicial and administrative powers. He has also been directed to return all judicial and administrative files in his possession to Registrar General of Calcutta HC.
The move of the SC comes after Karnan wrote letters to the Prime Minister, Law Minister, Chief Justice of India, judges of SC and others leveling allegations of corruption against the Supreme Court and Madras High Court judges.
It is for the first time that the Apex Court has issued show cause notice to a sitting judge of the HC and asked him to remain present in person to defend charges against him.
SC has given Karnan time till February 13 to reply to the notice and that’s the next date of hearing in the case.
Attorney General of India Mukul Rohatgi calling the action of the judge as ‘slanderous’ and ‘disparaging’, said that action must be taken against the judge as the letters written by him to authorities bring disrepute to the judicial system.
