SC's registry declines to accept Justice Karnan's plea against contempt sentence

The Supreme Court has declined to accept a plea by Calcutta High Court judge C S Karnan for stay and recall of the May 9 order sentencing him to six-month in jail for contempt of court.
 
“After due consideration, it was held that Justice Karnan had committed contempt of the gravest nature...the said findings have since attained finality,” the order passed by the SC Registrar on May 12 stated. Justice Karnan's writ petition against the judgement was termed as “not maintainable”.

The apex court's registry had declined to accept the petition filed by Justice Karnan, which, among others, also challenged the constitutional validity of Contempt of Courts Act.

The elusive judge had contended a contempt of court proceeding could not have been instituted against him. He had sought a declaration of the proceedings initiated against him as well as a notice on February 8 on the contempt proceedings as “unconstitutional and void”.

In its order, the apex court's registrar also said, “it is fairly well-settled that the judicial proceedings of this (the apex) court are not amenable to the writ jurisdiction under Article 32 of the Constitution .”

Meanwhile, Justice Karnan has also filed a mercy plea before President Pranab Mukherjee seeking a stay of the order. The plea has been filed under Article 72 of the Constitution, which states that the President shall have the power to grant pardons, remissions of punishment or to suspend or commute the sentence of any person convicted of an offence.