Justice CS Karnan seeks compensation of Rs 14 cr from CJI, SC judges for 'disturbing his mind'

New Delhi: Calcutta High Court judge Justice CS Karnan has written a letter to Chief Justice of India JS Khehar and other judges of the Constitution Bench, seeking compensation of Rs 14 crore for 'disturbing his mind and insulting him in public'.

The latest development came after, the apex court last week a bailable warrant against Justice Karnan for refusing to heed summons to appear, and the judge hit back by ordering the CBI to probe all the seven apex court judges in the Constitution Bench.

A seven-judge bench headed by the CJI took strong note of Justice Karnan's non-appearance despite being served with the contempt notice and asked the Director General of West Bengal Police to execute the warrants on the judge to ensure his presence at 10.30 am on March 31.

The bench during a 15-minute-long hearing that took place in the packed CJI's courtroom referred to Justice Karnan's fax message sent to the apex court registry on March 8 seeking a meeting with the CJI to discuss "certain administrative issues".

It said the message "primarily seem to reflect the allegations levelled by him against certain named judges. The above fax message, dated March 8, cannot be considered as a response of Justice C S Karnan, either to the contempt petition, or to the notice served upon him."

At the outset, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said that Justice Karnan had defied the Supreme Court order and the apex court rules on contempt provide for issuance of bailable and non-bailable warrants against a contemnor to ensure his presence.

"The letter can't be considered as response to contempt petition. In view of the above, there is no alternative but to ensure his presence in the court by issuing bailable warrant."

Besides Chief Justice Khehar, other judges on the bench are Justice Dipak Misra, Justice J. Chelameswar, Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Madan B. Lokur, Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Justice Kurian Joseph.

In perhaps another unheard step, Justice Karnan held a press conference - conveyed at a short notice - railing against the Supreme Court order, calling it an "attempt to ruin" his life as a Dalit judge, and directed that a case be filed under the SC and ST Act.

Earlier, the Supreme Court bench had issued contempt notice to Justice Karnan for writing letters casting aspersions on several judges. It had also said Justice Karnan would not discharge any judicial and administrative functions during the pendency of the proceedings.

It is for the first time in the Supreme Court history that it has invoked powers to initiate contempt proceedings against a sitting judge of a High Court.

Justice Karnan had in January named 20 "corrupt judges", seeking probe against them to curb "high corruption" in the Indian judiciary.