Judiciary Imploding? SC Judges Give Six Months Sentence To Karnan After He Sentenced Them For Five Years

A day after the Calcutta High Court Judge Justice C S Karnan, “sentenced” seven Supreme Court judges and the Chief Justice of India J S Khehat to five years of imprisonment, the seven member bench of the Supreme Court has sentenced the said judge to six months of jail.

The apex court has ordered the immediate arrest of Justice Karnan. This is a landmark ruling as it for the first time sentences a sitting High Court judge. The order will call it a day for the ongoing tussle between the apex court and Justice Karnan with regard to the charges of contempt that the latter faces for having continuously levelled corruption allegations against the Madras High Court Chief Justice and other judges .

Karnan had been stripped off his judicial and administrative powers restraining him from performing any official duties in February this year, despite which he had ordered the arrest of the very bench that was hearing his case to five-year rigorous imprisonment and alleged that he was being tried for contempt as he was a Dalit.