Ex-judge CS Karnan, denied bail and lodged in Kolkata's Presidency Jail, says 'fighting against corruption'

Chennai: Former Calcutta High Court Justice C S Karnan, who was arrested from a guest house in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore yesterday by the West Bengal Police, said on Wednesday that he is fighting against the evil of corruption.

"I am fighting against corruption", former judge CS Karnan said before he was taken to Kolkata after his arrest in Tamil Nadu.

He made this remark while replying to a question from reporters whether he would like to say anything on the developments relating to him.

Justice Karnan, who was arrested following the Supreme Court order sentencing him to six months imprisonment for contempt, however, said that the police acted within norms. 

"They know I have done no wrong," he said. He also said his health was checked and his blood pressure is perfect.

Karnan had today moved the Supreme Court seeking bail and suspension of six-month sentence awarded to him in May.

The SC, however, refused to entertain Karnan's bail plea.

A vacation bench of Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul also said: "We can't suspend the sentence as the order of the sentence was passed by a seven-judge bench."

"Sorry, nevertheless," Justice Chandrachud said, declining the bail plea.

The bench said this as Justice Karnan's counsel Mathew J Nadumpara urged it to grant bail to the former judge.

Nedumpara said that this court had all the powers and should grant the interim bail till the reopening of the court.

To this, the vacation bench said it could not override the order of the seven-judge bench.

The former judge was earlier taken to Kolkata by flight from Chennai early morning. 

Karnan, who was eluding arrest for more than a month, retired from service, a few days back. 

He has now been lodged in Kolkata's Presidency Jail.