NEW DELHI: A day after the unprecedented development in the judiciary, Madras High Court Judge Justice C S Karnan on Tuesday met Chief Justice of India T S Thakur at the Supreme Court.
According to sources, the meeting lasted for half an hour during the course of which all the issues surrounding him were discussed. However, there was no official word on what transpired in the meeting or whether Justice Karnan would comply with the February 12 transfer order issued by Chief Justice Thakur shifting him to the Calcutta High Court.
Justice Karnan had on Monday stayed the CJI’s order transferring him to Calcutta HC also issued notice to him. However, the stay became ineffective as an apex court bench of Justice J S Khehar and Justice R Banumathi on Monday itself had said that any order, be it administrative or judicial, passed by Justice Karnan after he was transferred to the Calcutta High Court would stand stayed till further orders.
The apex court by its Monday order had said that Justice Karnan would not pass any order “suo motu or otherwise”, in any matter not specially assigned to him by the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
The apex court passed the order on an application moved by the Registrar of Madras High Court, seeking an order to restrain Justice Karnan from doing any judicial work. Justice Karnan had triggered a row by threatening to file contempt of court proceedings against Justice Kaul and a case against him under the provisions of the SC/ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act, in unsigned letters to the HC Chief Justice.
Justice Karnan had stated in the letters that he was suo motu staying the administrative order of the CJ with regard to selection of civil judges.