It seems nothing can silence Justice Karnan. The Calcutta High Court judge wrote a letter addressed to the seven senior most judges of the Supreme Court seeking compensation to the tune of Rs 14 crore.

Justice Karnan sought this compensation on the grounds that all administrative and judicial work was restrained from him thereby disturbing his mind and his normal life. Besides, Justice Karnan also felt insulted by the constitutional bench in the general public due to "lack of (their) legal knowledge".

Justice Karnan has demanded the compensation within a period of seven days failing which he has threatened to restrain the administration and judicial responsibilities of the seven judges.

The seven judges named in the letter are Chief Justice JS Khehar, Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Jasti Chelameshwar, Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Madan B Lokur, Justice PC Ghose and Justice Kurian Joseph.

The two-page letter typewritten in English on Justice Karnan's letterhead dated March 16 started with him claiming the seven-judge constitutional bench that passed a suo-moto order of contempt against him is unconstitutional. He further added that the order wherein his administrative and judicial powers were restrained was passed with a "malafide intention" of harassing him because he is a Dalit.

In his March 16 letter, justice Karnan alleged that the contempt proceedings against him were nothing but an attempt by the judges to collude with each other to protect their brethren who have been accused of corruption.

The drama surrounding Justice Karnan was set in motion when in January, he penned a letter to the Prime Minister alleging corruption against several of the High Court and apex court judges. On February 8, in a historic move, the seven senior most judges of the apex court led by the Chief Justice passed a contempt order against Justice Karnan.

A little over a month after contempt proceedings were initiated, the apex court on March 10 issued a bailable warrant against Justice Karnan after he failed to appear before the bench for the second time.

However, hours after the bailable warrant was issued against him, Justice Karnan called a press conference at his New Town residence in Kolkata and reiterated the point that he was being targeted for being a Dalit.

"I am being targeted as I am a Dalit. This is a caste issue. The order has been deliberately issued against me. This is an attempt to ruin my life and my career. The warrant is unconstitutional," Justice Karnan told the media.

"The order is arbitrary," Justice Karnan had said while he addressed the media on March 10.

"I direct the CBI director to register, investigate and file a report," Karnan had said, adding that he was invoking his inherent powers under the High Court to "prevent abuse of process of any court and secure ends of justice."

"Why should I appear before the SC? They are not my superior," the aggrieved judge had said. "There is no provision of issuing a bailable warrant against a sitting judge. I have requested the President of India to recall it."