SC declines Justice Karnan's plea for early hearing of petition

The Supreme Court on Friday declined to consider the plea for an immediate hearing on Calcutta High Court Justice C.S. Karnan's review petition seeking stay of top court's order sentencing him to undergo six months jail for its contempt.

Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, heading the five judges bench hearing challenge to the validity of triple talaq, told Justice Karnan's counsel Mathew J. Nadumpara that they had permitted him to file whatever he wanted in the registry.

However, Chief Justice Khehar did not say anything on Nadumpara's plea seeking an immediate hearing of the plea to stay the May 9 order sentencing Karnan to undergo imprisonment for criminal contempt.

The plea for the stay of the sentence till the review plea is decided can only be considered by the seven judge bench of Chief Justice Khehar, Justice Dipak Misra, Justice J. Chelameswar, Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Madan B. Lokur, Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Justice Kurian Joseph which passed the order. Justice Ghose is retiring on May 27.

Seeking the recall of the May 9 order, Justice Karnan has sought stay of the order convicting him of criminal contempt of court and sentencing him to undergo imprisonment for six months till the final disposal of his review petition that was filed on Thursday.

The court by its May 9 order had directed the Director General of West Bengal Police to constitute teams for the execution of its order forthwith.

The Supreme Court initiated contempt proceedings against Justice Karnan on February 8 and restrained him from performing judicial and administrative work.

Justice Karnan had taken on the top judiciary after he wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing various judges and officers of the Madras High Court of corruption.

--IANS

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