A day after the Supreme Court of India sentenced Calcutta High Court Judge Justice C S Karnan, a Kolkata police team reached Chennai today.

Karnan was sentenced to a six months imprisonment in a contempt case. According to unconfirmed sources, presently Justice Karnan is not in Tamil Nadu, but at Srikalahasthi in neighboring AP. He is expected to return to Chennai this evening.

Before the apex court delivered its judgment, Karnan was staying at a guest house, after he arrived in Chennai. Later, he addressed the media in his room.

The local police said that the Kolkata police personnel spoke to their Tamil Nadu counterparts on executing the arrest order. We have closed the main gate to the state guest house, to anticipate the trouble as a group of advocates protested outside the state guest house, the police said. They further alleged that Karnan was being victimized.

This is the first time in the history of Indian Judiciary, that a sitting high court judge has been awarded an imprisonment by the apex court, on contempt charges. The apex court, a seven-bench constitution judge, headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar banned the media from publishing or airing the content of further orders passed by Justice Karnan.

The bench further said, “The sentence shall be executed and he be taken into custody forthwith.”

SUPRAJA