Indian SC completely bans reporting of Kolkata HC judge’s statements

NEWDELHI: The Supreme Court of India ruled on Thursday that media should not cover a Kolkata High Court judge’s statements, who was charged for accusing other judiciary members of corruption.The top court of India had sentenced CS Karnan to six months in jail for contempt of court, after the senior judge accused top judges of the apex court of corruption, according to a CJP report.The Committee to Protect Journalists termed the verdict, a ‘troubling blow to freedom of the press’.The CPJ said that the sentence is tantamount to prior censorship.According to CPJ, the Indian apex court ordered Kolkata Police chief to arrest him, and banned media coverage of the judge’s ‘orders’.
The 61-year-old judge was giving orders from his residence in Kolkata.The issue came to light after Karnan accused around 20 high-level judiciary members of corruption at the beginning of 2017 and wrote a letter to Indian PM Narendra Modi as well.The Kolkata High Court judge also refused to appear before the apex court’s judges, according to media reports.Karnan had ‘ordered’ New Delhi police to imprison seven apex court judges for five years and pay fines as they discriminated against him on the basis of his caste.In his defence, Karnan said that he is being targeted as he is a Dalit community member.