Supreme Court: Reacting upon the judicial orders passed by Justice C.S. Karnan against the Chief Justice of India and 7 Supreme Court jusges, the 7-Judge Bench of Jagdish Singh Khehar, CJ and six senior most Judges of the Supreme Court, Dipak Misra, J. Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B. Lokur, PC Ghose and Kurian Joseph, JJ, said that the tenor of the press briefings, as also, the purported judicial orders passed by Justice C.S. Karnan, prima facie suggest, that he may not be in a fit medical condition, to defend himself, in the present proceedings and hence he should be medically examined, before proceeding further.
The Court directed the Director Health Services, Government of West Bengal, to constitute a Board of Doctors from Pavlov Government Hospital, Kolkata, to examine Justice C.S. Karnan, and conduct the examination on 4.5.2017. Listing the matter on 09.05.2017, the Court directed the Medical Board to submit the report on or before 8.5.2017.
The Court also refrained all Courts, Tribunals, Commissions or Authorities, from taking cognizance of any orders passed by Justice C.S. Karnan, after the initiation of the proceeding on 8.2.2017.
Directing Justice C.S. Karnan to furnish his response to the notice issued to him on 8.2.2017, on or before 8.5.2017 and if he fails to do so it shall be presumed, that he has nothing to say in the matter.
Justice Karnan, who is a sitting judge of Calcutta High Court, had recently barred the members of the Bench in the present contempt proceedings, along with R. Banumathi, J. from travelling outside India and had directed them to appear before him. [IN RE: JUSTICE C.S. KARNAN, 2017 SCC OnLine SC 514, order dated 01.05.2017]
