Justice CS Karnan, a man of many firsts, breaks another record today: he is now the first HC judge to retire while absconding. He has been missing since May 9, when the SC passed an arrest order against him for contempt of court. The same day, he was seen in Chennai chatting with visitors and mediapersons post the order, but vanished soon after.

Who? Justice Karnan's controversial stint at the Madras HC

Justice Chinnasamy Swaminathan Karnan, born in June 1955, completed his LL.B from Madras Law College in 1983, and was appointed as a Madras HC judge in 2008 During his stint there, he accused several colleagues, including Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, of discrimination against him for being Dalit. In 2015, he initiated contempt proceedings against Justice Kaul. The SC stayed the order and transferred him to Calcutta.

Bizarre Justice Karnan's war against the SC

Then began the SC-Justice Karnan war: he passed a stay on his transfer order, and when a two-judge bench lifted the stay, he ordered charges against them under the SC/ST atrocities law. After he wrote an open letter accusing 20 judges of corruption, a seven-judge SC bench ordered his psychiatric evaluation; he retaliated by ordering the 'Delhi DGP' to produce them before him.

Records The several 'firsts' by Justice Karnan

Justice Karnan has several 'firsts' to his name: he was the first judge to move the National Commission for SCs and STs alleging harassment by colleagues (he is a Dalit). He was the first to barge in on a hearing of another bench and demand to be made a litigant. He was the first judge to have a psychiatric evaluation ordered by the SC.

12 Jun 2017 Justice Karnan the first HC judge to retire while absconding

Justice CS Karnan, a man of many firsts, breaks another record today: he is now the first HC judge to retire while absconding. He has been missing since May 9, when the SC passed an arrest order against him for contempt of court. The same day, he was seen in Chennai chatting with visitors and mediapersons post the order, but vanished soon after.

20 Jun 2017 Justice Karnan arrested in Coimbatore

CS Karnan, a retired Calcutta High Court Justice, who was in hiding since 9 May was arrested today. Karnan had been awarded a six-month jail term by SC for the contempt of court. Karnan, the first sitting high court judge to be awarded a jail term by the Supreme Court, was nabbed in Coimbatore. He will now be taken to Kolkata.

21 Jun 2017 No relief for Karnan as SC refuses suspension of imprisonment