No bail, only jail for Justice CS Karnan, says Supreme Court

New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to suspend a six-month jail term it awarded to former Calcutta High Court judge Justice C.S. Karnan for his contempt of the apex court. It also denied him bail.

A vacation bench of Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said: "We can't suspend the sentence as the order of the sentence was passed by a seven-judge bench." 

The bench said this as Justice Karnan's counsel Mathew J. Nadumpara urged it to grant bail to the former judge, who was arrested by the West Bengal Police on Tuesday.

Karnan's arrest came more than a month after the apex court's seven-judge bench held him guilty of contempt of court and sentenced him to six months in prison. 

"Sorry, nevertheless," Justice Chandrachud said, declining the bail plea.