Former Calcutta High Court judge C.S Karnan, who rebelled against the judiciary over alleged corruption and casteism, was today released after serving a six- month sentence for contempt of court.
Karnan, who was the first sitting HC judge to have been sentenced to jail, was awarded the sentence by the Supreme Court in May.
After his release, Karnan left the Presidency Correctional Home premises around 11.00 am, his wife Saraswati Karnan said.
His wife and elder son, who reached here last night from Chennai, accompanied him.
Karnan was arrested from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu on June 20 after he had evaded the police for over a month. The Supreme Court passed the six-month jail sentence on him on May 9.
READ ALSO: All You Need To Know About Justice C.S. Karnan, Who Now Faces Contempt Charge By Supreme Court
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Justice Karnan has had a controversial career since his appointment in 2009 and came to notice last year when he stayed a court order against his own transfer from the Madras High Court. Then chief justice of Madras HC, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, as well as his colleagues had found it difficult to work with Justice Karnan.
On January 23, 2017, Justice Karnan had published an open letter to the prime minister naming “an initial list” of 20 sitting and retired Supreme Court and High Court judges, accusing them of corruption. In it, Justice Karnan had suggested that they be investigated through interrogation by central agencies.
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In 2011, he became the first judge of a High Court to move the National Commission for SCs and STs, complaining of harassment by fellow judges.
