Madras HC says proceeding on leave protesting "insignificant"

Controversial judge of the Madras High Court Justice C S Karnan has said he was proceeding on long leave in protest against allocation of "insignificant and dummy portfolio" of cases to him.
"It is with a heavy heart that I am desirous of proceeding on a long leave as a result of the harassment and belittlement meted out to me by you lordship and to ensure that the decorum of the court is maintained to the satisfaction of the general public," Justice Karnan said in a letter addressed to the Madras High Court chief justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul.
He also shot off letters to the Union Law Minister and the Principal Accountant-General in Chennai.

Dubbing the collegium system of appointment of judges under which judges of the higher judiciary are appointed by judges as a 'doubtful system' that promoted only 'high caste candidates', Justice Karnan said it should be rooted out "lock, stock and barrel."
Justice Karnan became the first judge in India to complain to the National Commission of SCs and STs that he suffered caste discrimination and harassment at the hands of his colleague-judges.
He had once barged into the court hall of a division bench while hearing was going on and said that he disapproved of the selection method for judges and that if necessary he himself would become a litigant before the court.

In the letter about "insignificant" porfolios being allotted to him, Justice Karnan said "since your lordship (Chief Justice Kaul) is solely incharge of the Madras high court and invested with administrative power, your lordship has elected to allot me insignificant/dummy portfolios while those junior to me have been allotted significant assignments, which is tantamount to belittling my capacity as a judge of many years in this august court.
"Being a Dalit, do you expect me to take such treatment lying down?" he said.
Justice Karnan released all the three letters on Friday morning which started trending in all social media platforms immediately.