Justice Karnan alleges 'caste discrimination'; files complaint

Retired judge C S Karnan has lodged a complaint with the director general of police of West Bengal. The complaint is against his retired chief justice of Calcutta High Court, Justice Jyotirmoy Bhattacharjya. The complaint requests initiation of criminal proceedings against justice Bhattacharya under the SC/ST atrocities act.

Justice Bhattacharya just few days before his retirement, issued an administrative order asking Karnan to vacate his house in Kolkata—given to him being a judge of the Calcutta High Court—if he was interested to get pension and other pending financial dues after his retirement last year from the central government.

Karnan had earlier written to Calcutta High Court's Registrar General wanting to know why his pension was not cleared despite being cleared by the Law Ministry of Central government after approval from the President of India.

The Registrar General informed Justice Karnan on why his financial dues were pending. It quoted the administrative order of the chief justice of Calcutta High Court. Karnan was sentenced to six months jail last year following to his attacks against judges of Madras High Court and Supreme Court of India.

In his letter written to Director General of West Bengal police, Virendra, dated on September 21, Karnan also included Registrar General as 'former party' in the FIR. But he mentioned Justice Bhattacharya as prime accused.

"The accused (retired chief justice) wantonly and deliberately withheld my pension benefits," said Karnan in his letter.

He also accused the retired judge of taking the decision to withhold his pension benefits at the behest of some 'judge in the Supreme Court' who has been accused by him as 'corrupt'.

He called it caste discrimination and asked the police to register a criminal case against the accused persons.

"I humbly request you to register a criminal case against the above mentioned main accused under the SC/ST atrocities act and proceed with the same in accordance with the law and oblige," said he in his letter.

The office of the director general of police, West Bengal said they are yet to receive any complaint regarding this.

On being contacted, Karnan said he decided to file a criminal complaint because he had been harassed by the former chief justice of Calcutta High Court for no reason.

"The mater about vacating my old house is between me and landlord. Neither West Bengal government nor Calcutta High Court owns the property which I use in Kolkata's Rajarhat. I would like to settle the mater with the Rose Dale authorities and the court has no business regarding that. I am ready to purchase or pay rent for the flat I stay during my visit in Kolkata," Karnan told THE WEEK.

Justice Jyotirmoy Bhattacharjee, who retired on last Monday, was not available for any comment.