SC rejects Justice Karnan's plea, finds it 'not maintainable'

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected Justice C.S. Karnan's plea for recall of the six-month jail term for contempt of court, stating that the petition was "not maintainable" in the court.

"I am constrained, but to hold that the present writ petition is not maintainable. The relief, if any, lies somewhere else. I, thus, see no reasonable cause to receive the present writ petition for registration under the provisions of order XV, rule (5) of the Supreme Court rules, 2013," the Supreme Court Registrar said in the order.

Earlier this month, Justice Karnan had approached the apex court seeking recall of the May 9 order, in which he was convicted and was sentenced to six-month imprisonment.

The Supreme Court also banned the media from publishing the orders passed by him during his tenure.

The top court had taken suo motu cognizance of numerous letters written by him against judges of the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court and restrained him from exercising administrative and judicial powers from February 8.

Karnan is the first ever sitting judge of a higher court in judicial history to be sent to jail.