Retired justice C.S. Karnan alleges he is facing a threat to his life. The former judge of the Madras and Calcutta High Courts has written to the chief justice of the Madras High Court, requesting provision of security for him.
Though Karnan had retired as a judge of the Calcutta High Court after being convicted in a contempt case by the Supreme Court, he is presently a resident of Chennai.
The West Bengal government entitles retired Supreme Court and High Court judges to have security, but the Tamil Nadu government does not allow this.
In his letter to Justice Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani, chief justice of the Madras High Court, Karnan wrote, "I wish to state that some extreme controversies are existing between the Supreme Court, the Madras High Court and myself. Such a serious situation can always have repercussions by endangering (my) life. Hence, I request my ladyship to arrange for my safety and security."
When contacted, Karnan admitted that he wrote the letter requesting security.
"My war against corruption at the highest position in judiciary is still going on. While being on that extreme path, I feel my safety and security are in question. I have also floated a political party and am raising issues of corruption in all walks of lives, mainly in judiciary. So, my life is at stake," Karnan told THE WEEK.
Karnan refused to elaborate on what kind of threat he has been getting these days. But he said that he had not come out of the “war” he had launched in 2017 against judges in the top courts of India.
"It's now an extreme battle for me as I am again launching offensives against the corrupt judges of High Courts and Supreme Court of India. I will continue to do that till they are removed from their positions. I don't mind if they book me again for doing this," Karnan told THE WEEK.
Recently, Karnan told THE WEEK in an interview that he wrote to the United Nations, International Human Rights Commission in Geneva and the International Court of Justice at the Hague about the "irregularities and corruption" taking place at the highest layer of the Indian judiciary and the kind of treatment he had received for speaking out against corruption in the higher judiciary.
Karnan also told THE WEEK about the "double standards" of the Indian judiciary as he was put in jail for levelling corruption allegations at judges, while only a contempt notice was issued against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for doing the same.
Karnan, who had retained his official accommodation in Kolkata, has been asked to vacate his residence at New Town in Kolkata's Rajarhat where he used to stay from his days as Calcutta High Court justice. However, Karnan is defiant and claims that he would not vacate the apartment and instead would be ready to pay the rent and even purchase the apartment.
"But to my utter surprise, I came to know that the house owner disconnected electricity and water supply to my apartment. I will not take it easy and fight as well. I will soon be in Kolkata," Karnan said.