February,15,2016: Setting himself on a collision course with the fellow members of the judiciary - this time with the Chief Justice of India himself - controversial judge of the High Court of Madras, Justice CS Karnan, today stayed the order transferring him to the High Court of Calcutta. He even asked the CJI to submit his written statement on the matter by April 29. A little earlier on Monday morning, the Supreme Court had asked the Chief Justice of Madras High Court not to assign any work to the judge. The direction came on a petition moved by the High Court Registrar seeking to restrain the judge, after he decided suo motu to take action against his transfer. After he was served with the transfer order on February 12 which proposed to shift him to the High Court of Calcutta, Karnan took cognisance of the matter and listed it for today. Noting that the transfer order cited 'better administration, Karnan said in his suo motu judicial order: "...it is beyond my comprehension to discern your lordship's comment on better administration." He contended that the transfer order is against the verdict of a nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court, and stayed its operation citing Article 226 of the Indian Constitution. Going a step forward, he asked the Chief Justice of India "to submit your written statement on the said issue through your subordinates by April 29. Till such time, this interim order may be operated upon. As a regard for our judicial fraternity, I request your lordship not to interfere in my jurisdiction, as I am in the process of finalising an order on merits." Earlier in the day, a Supreme Court bench of Justices JS Khehar and R Banumathi asked the Madras High Court chief justice not to assign any work to the controversial judge. The direction came after the registrar of the High Court approached the SC with a fresh affidavit on the matter. According to reports from the Supreme Court, the registrar, also the personal secretary of the HC chief justice, had gone to Justice Karnan's residence to hand over the transfer order. He reportedly alleged in the affidavit that he was greeted with a volley of 'choicest abuses' "On account of the fact that he has received his transfer order, we find it just and appropriate to direct to allow the Chief Justice not to assign any further judicial work to him," the Supreme Court bench said. The case became further complicated after Karnan stayed his own transfer through the suo motu order. This was soon brought to the attention of the SC bench, which reportedly agreed to the high court's counsel's plea for modifying the order.
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