CHENNAI: Former High Court judge C S Karnan, who became the first sitting judge in India to be sentenced for contempt of court, died here on Friday following health complications. He was 71. Justice Karnan, who served in the Madras and Calcutta High Courts, died in a private hospital where he was undergoing treatment. He is survived by his wife and two sons.
His judicial career was marked by an unprecedented standoff with the higher judiciary. During his tenure, he made repeated allegations of corruption and caste discrimination against fellow judges and the collegium.
The confrontation reached its peak in May 2017 when a seven-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, headed by then Chief Justice of India J S Khehar, found him guilty of criminal contempt and sentenced him to six months in prison. The apex court’s action came after Karnan passed his own “orders” sentencing the Supreme Court judges to five years of rigorous imprisonment.
Following the Supreme Court’s sentencing, Karnan evaded arrest for over a month before being apprehended by the Kolkata Police in Coimbatore in June 2017, just days after he formally reached superannuation and retired from judicial service on June 12. He was released in December 2017 after completing his sentence.
Born as Karunanidhi in 1955 in Karnatham village of Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore district, he officially changed his name to Karnan in 1991. After earning his law degree from Madras Law College in 1983, he practised as an advocate in civil and constitutional matters. He was appointed as a judge of the Madras High Court in 2009 and transferred to the Calcutta High Court in 2016.
Even after his retirement, Karnan remained in the public eye. In December 2020, Chennai Police arrested him again after videos surfaced online showing him making derogatory remarks and threats against judges and their female family members. The Madras High Court subsequently granted him bail, taking into consideration his medical condition and an unconditional apology.
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