SC refuses urgent hearing on former judge CS Karnan`s plea seeking bail, recall of order convicting him for contempt

New Delhi: In a setback to former Kolkata High Court judge CS Karnan, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to accord urgent hearing on his plea seeking bail and recall of the previous order convicting him for contempt.

Karnan was arrested on June 20 in compliance of the apex court's judgement awarding him six-month jail term for contempt of court.

The former Kolkata High Court judge had requested urgent listing of his petition seeking bail and setting aside of his conviction.

"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.

On June 21, a vacation bench of the apex court had refused to entertain the plea of the arrested ex-high court judge saying it "cannot override" the seven-judge bench order in the case.

Karnan, 62, who retired on June 12 as Calcutta High Court judge, was arrested on June 20 by the West Bengal CID.

He had in hiding in Coimbatore since May 9 when the apex court held him guilty for contempt of court and sentenced him to six months imprisonment.

Karnan holds 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