Friday saw a high voltage judicial drama unfold at a Calcutta High Court judge’s house when two top police officers of the State, DGP Surajit Kar Purakayastha and Kolkata Commissioner of Police Rajib Kumar, arrived at Justice CS Karnan’s New Town residence with a bailable warrant issued by the Supreme Court in a contempt case to ensure his appearance before it on March 31.
The warrant, which was handed over to the judge by Purakayastha was, however, “rejected” by Justice Karnan, who decided to sue the SC for Rs 14 crore for harassment.
A large team of about 100 policemen was posted outside Karnan’s residence when the senior police officials visited the place. In a letter to the seven-judge Bench headed by
Chief Justice JS Khehar that initiated a suo motu contempt proceeding and issued a bailable warrant against him, Justice Karnan said he rejected the warrant.
“My lords, your bailable order dated March 10, 2017 in the suo motu contempt proceedings, today top police officers from the Calcutta High Court Circle came to my residence in order to execute the bailable warrant earmarked for 10.30 am on March 31, 2017. I rejected the same after assigning valid reasons,” Justice Karnan said in the letter.
Justice Karnan, meanwhile, sought a compensation of Rs 14 crore from the seven SC judges for having stopped his judicial and administrative work.
“I am calling up on all seven Judges to pay compensation, a sum of Rs 14 crore as compensation since you have disturbed my mind and my normal life, besides you have insulted me in the general public consisting of a population of 125 crore in India.... Now all seven Judges shall pay a part of the compensation within a period of seven days from the date of receipt of this order,” Justice Karnan said.
In the letter to the Constitution Bench that initiated the suo motu contempt proceedings against him, Justice Karnan requested them to cancel the Bench. “I request you to cancel the unconstitutional Bench and restore my normal work,” he wrote.
On the day when the SC issued the bailable warrant, Justice Karnan hit back saying the Apex Court judges had “no locus standi” to issue such a warrant against a sitting judge, alleging the SC’s action was the result of him being a Dalit.
He had even ordered registration of a case under the SCs/STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 against JS Kehar and the other six judges who had issued the warrant against him.