Controversial Calcutta High Court judge Justice CS Karnan on Tuesday ordered issuance of non-bailable warrants against the chief justice of India and six other Supreme Court judges. He passed the order against the judges for not being represented before him, reported PTI. “The registrar general [of] Calcutta High Court is directed to issue the non-bailable warrant to the above-named accused to be executed through the director general of police or commissioner of police of New Delhi,” read his order.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said he was not sure whether Justice Karnan would follow the direction of a seven-judge bench and undergo medical check-up for his mental health. “I do not know whether the gentleman, who was asked yesterday [May 1], would submit to the order of the seven-judge bench of this court,” he said.
On Monday, the apex court had called for a medical board to be established to check the 61-year-old’s mental health and submit a report by May 8. Responding to the top court’s latest order, Justice Karnan questioned why the seven judges were taking a “special interest” in him when he had complained against 20 judges. “I am not willing to undergo any medical treatment. Who is the Supreme Court to judge that I have a mental illness?” he said, accusing the bench looking into his case of being corrupt.
Karnan had also demanded that a psychological test be done on Chief Justice JS Khehar and six other judges at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi and a report regarding the same be submitted to him on or before May 7. “If the DGP or any doctor tries to force me to face a test I will order their suspension and make them co-accused in this case,” he had said.
Karnan is facing contempt charges for degrading the judiciary and making allegations of corruption against Supreme Court judges. The SC bench had rejected his demand to be allowed to discharge his judicial duties, holding that the High Court judge was not in a clear state of mind. It had issued a bailable warrant against him on March 17.
On April 28, Justice Karnan, who has maintained that the judges have been discriminating against him because he is a Dalit, had asked the Air Control Authority in Delhi to not allow Chief Justice JS Khehar and the six other Supreme Court judges hearing his case to travel outside the country.
Prior to that, he had summoned them to his “residential court”. Karnan had alleged that the seven judges had insulted him in open court when they had questioned his mental health during a hearing on March 31.
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