Justice Karnan v. Madras HC: Karnan J. requests HC to bear expenses for Sr. Advocate in Supreme Court

Another interesting development has come about in the case involving Justice Karnan and Madras High Court. The sitting Madras High Court judge – against whom the Madras High Court itself had moved the Supreme Court – has now requested the High Court to bear his expenses in conducting the case in Supreme Court. He has requested the High Court to sanction an amount of Rs. 5,00,000 for hiring a lawyer for the same..The letter sent by Justice Karnan to the Registrar General of Madras High Court on May 11 reads as follows:.“I have passed a suo moto judicial order regarding selection of Judicial Magistrates by Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission. The said order dated 30.04.2015 is now being challenged by you before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. Now I have to disclose the facts of the case and the legal position before the Hon’ble Supreme Court through a Senior Advocate and his Associates for which kindly sanction a sum of Rs. 5,00,000 after observing necessary formalities since the case has to be proceeded at the cost of Madras High Court.”.The case has its origin in a suo moto order passed by Justice Karnan challenging the composition of a Recruitment Committee constituted by the Chief Justice of the High Court to select Civil Judges. Subsequently, a Division Bench of the High Court had stayed this order. Justice Karnan had then got the matter placed before him again on April 30 and come down upon the Chief Justice threatening him with contempt of court action if he failed to comply with his first order. He also warned the Chief Justice of action under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act if he interfered in the judicial proceedings..The High Court had then rushed in appeal to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court after hearing Senior Advocate KK Venugopal had issued notice to Justice Karnan, stayed his order of April 30 and restrained him from hearing the case further. .The judge has now requested money for conducting his case in this appeal before the Supreme Court..The Registrar General of High Court was not available for comment at the time of publishing this story..Read the letter sent by Justice Karnan to the Registrar General of Madras High Court below..Image taken from here.