Madras High Court Grants Bail To Ex-Judge CS Karnan In Abusive Videos Cases

The Madras High Court on Tuesday granted bail to former HC judge CS Karnan in the criminal cases registered over the abusive videos uploaded by him with threats against judges of higher judiciary and their family members.A single judge of Justice V Bharathidasan allowed bail to Karnan considering the fact that he has spent more than 110 days in custody, the unconditional apology tendered by him and his undertaking to not repeat the offensive acts. The bench also took note of his medical complications which developed after he was infected with COVID-19.Karnan has been asked to execute a bond for Rs 50,000 and furnish two sureties each for the like sum. He should not release any such videos, or postings, or statements in any print, electronic and social medias as well as in public platforms in future.The Court further directed that Karnan should refrain from issuing derogatory or abusive statements against the Judiciary as a whole, and the Judges and their family members, lawyers and the staff members of this Registry in any print,electronic and social medias as well as in public platforms in future.The Court warned Karnan that his bail will be cancelled if he violates the undertaking.In the undertaking filed before the Court, Karnan said that the videos happened to be released by him under circumstances beyond his control."I tender an unconditional apology to all my brothers and sisters in the higher judiciary as well as to their family members and the members of the Bar and I undertake that I will not release any such videos or posting in any platform in the future", he said in the affidavit filed before the Court.Ten FIRs were registered against him by the Chennai police over 33 videos posted by Karnan in various social media platforms. The police invoked offences under Section 153, 509 , Section 228, 509,294(b), 506(ii) r/w 120-B of IPC, Section 67-A of Information Technology Act, Section 4 of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Woman Harassment Act and Section4 of Indecent Representation of Women Act. In the videos, Karnan was seen uttering abuses and obscenities against judges and their family members and even issued threats of sexual violence against the women relations of judges.Karnan was arrested by the Chennai police on December 2 last year, following the directions passed by the High Court in a petition filed by the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry demanding action against the ex-judge. In February, the High Court had dismissed his previous bail application, rejecting his argument that the videos were made out of psychological stress and depression.Yesterday, a division bench of the High Court had restrained the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and the Tamil Nadu State Human Rights Commission from taking cognizance of the complaints made by Karnan against the officers probing the abusive videos case against him, and also the judges deciding the case and the complainant.In November last year, the High Court had ordered the blocking of the objectionable videos posted by KarnanThe abusive videos of Karnan surfaced online in October, following which a group of women lawyers of Madras High Court submitted a complaint before the Chief Justice of India seeking action against Karnan.In May 2017, CS Karnan became the first sitting High Court judge to be held guilty of criminal contempt of court. A constitution bench of the Supreme Court sentenced him to six months imprisonment for his multiple acts of public utterances against judges and interference with the administration of justice. As a judge, Karnan had also extraordinary acts like passing a judicial order to stay his own transfer and issuing an arrest warrant against Supreme Court judges.After the sentence, he went into hiding. He was arrested a month later and was sent to Presidency Jail in Kolkata, where he underwent imprisonment till December 2017Click here to read/download the judgment

Madras High Court Grants Bail To Ex-Judge CS Karnan In Abusive Videos Cases

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