New Delhi: In a setback for CS Karnan, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to accord urgent hearing on a plea by the former Calcutta High Court judge, seeking bail and recall of the order convicting him for contempt. Karnan's lawyer has argued that the top court is still to release its detailed order specifying why his client was held guilty of contempt.
"Declined. We will not accept an oral request against the judgment," a bench comprising Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud said. Advocate Mathews J Nedumpara, representing Justice Karnan, said that he has been serving the jail term and his petition needs to be heard on an urgent basis.
Karnan, 62, who retired on June 12 as Calcutta High Court judge, was arrested on June 20 by the West Bengal CID. He had been in Coimbatore since May 9 when the apex court held him guilty for contempt of court and sentenced him to six months imprisonment.
Karnan has the dubious distinction of being the first sitting high court judge to be awarded a jail term by the apex court and also the first to have retired as a fugitive.
A seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar, had on May 9 directed the West Bengal director general of police to take the then serving judge into custody immediately.
Despite several attempts, Karnan has failed to get any relief from the apex court's vacation benches which has refused to hear his plea seeking a stay of its jail term order.
(With PTI inputs)
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