Karnan taken to hospital for another round of tests

The former Calcutta High Court judge C S Karnan, arrested for committing contempt of the Supreme Court, was today taken to a hospital for another round of medical tests to ascertain his health condition.

A senior officer of the Presidency correctional home (jail), where he was lodged, told PTI, "Karnan is not very well and seems to be weak. He was taken to the state-run SSKM hospital today again for another round of tests which were not done last night".

"The tests are being done to ascertain his health condition," he said.

He said Karnan is being accorded no special treatment in jail. "He is being treated just like other convicts. We have not arranged anything special for him.

"He had spent last night at the jail hospital and had taken the food prescribed for him by the doctors at the hospital."

On whether 62-year-old Karnan complained of any uneasiness this morning, the officer said, "He appeared to be very depressed and ate very little in breakfast. Though he has not complained of any health problem today, we took him to the hospital to conduct the remaining tests."

On the possibility of his hospitalisation today, the officer said "It all depends on the findings of the doctors.

If they think he requires to be in the hospital, we will have to follow it. After all he is an old man. We have to keep that in mind."

The former judge was taken to the SSKM hospital last night after he complained of chest pain but nothing abnormal was found in his medical report, he said.

Karnan, who had been evading arrest since May 9 after the Supreme Court awarded a six-month jail term, was arrested on Tuesday night by a team of West Bengal CID from a private resort at Malumichampatti, about six km from Coimbatore, where he was "hiding" for the past few days.

He was brought from Chennai to Kolkata yesterday afternoon and was taken to the Presidency correctional home.

Karnan, who has earned the dubious distinction of being the first sitting high court judge to be awarded a jail term by the apex court, retired from service on June 12 as a fugitive.