Karnan refuses medical examination, says 'am mentally fit'

Kolkata: Calcutta High Court Justice C.S. Karnan on Thursday refused to undergo any check-up after a medical team turned up at his residence following a Supreme Court order, saying he is mentally fit.

Karnan told the team of four doctors from a government hospital that a person's mental examination cannot be done without consent of his guardian, and his wife and sons were not in Kolkata. He said he could not allow the doctors from the Calcutta Pavlov Hospital to examine him, as it was legally wrong.

"Also, I am mentally in sound health," he told a posse of mediapersons and police officers at his New Town residence in Kolkata's north eastern fringes.

He termed the apex court order for his examination as a "mad order passed by mad judges".

A seven-judge Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar on Monday directed the setting up of a medical board to examine Karnan on May 4 and submit the evaluation report on May 8.

Karnan has been engaged in an over three-month long confrontation with the apex court. He is facing contempt charges for degrading the judiciary and making allegations of corruption against several Supreme Court judges.