Justice Karnan moves SC to recall conviction order

Calcutta High Court judge Justice C S Karnan on Thursday moved the Supreme Court seeking recall of an order holding him guilty of contempt of court and sentencing him to a six-month jail term. A petition on his behalf was mentioned before a five- judge bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar, which agreed to look into it.

When the Chief Justice of India asked about the whereabouts of Justice Karnan, Advocate Mathews J Nedumpara, who mentioned the plea on behalf of Justice Karnan, said he is "very much in Chennai". When the advocate was also asked to show papers that authorised him to represent the controversial judge, he showed the notorised papers of authorisation for filing the plea on behalf of the judge to the bench.

Nedumpara also said that 12 advocates on record had refused to represent Justice Karnan. The plea on behalf of the judge was mentioned before the bench, which also comprised Justices Kurian Joseph, R F Nariman, U U Lalit and Abdul Nazeer, which had just concluded the day's hearing on the issue of triple talaq.

The seven-judge bench of apex court had on May 9 passed the order sentencing Karnan to jail by holding him guilty of contempt of court and sentencing him to six months imprisonment.