Ex-judge Karnan complains of chest pain, admitted to hospital

Kolkata, June 22 :Former Calcutta High Court Justice C.S. Karnan was admitted to city-based SSKM Medical College and Hospital on Thursday after he complained of chest pain, a hospital official said.

The retired judge was lodged in Presidency Correctional Home on Wednesday after he was brought to Kolkata from Chennai following his arrest. Karnan had remained untraced since May 9 when he was sentenced to six-month imprisonment by the Supreme Court.

Informed sources said the retired judge, arrested on June 20 from Coimbatore by West Bengal CID officials in a case of contempt of court, complained of chest pain on Wednesday evening after he was taken to the jail directly from Kolkata airport.

"He was taken to the SSKM Hospital on Wednesday evening for conducting some tests as he complained of chest pain. He was taken back to the hospital on Thursday as he continued to feel uneasy," a jail official said.

"Karnan was brought to the hospital for tests on Thursday afternoon. He is admitted to the Cardiology Department," hospital Director Ajay Kumar Roy told IANS.

However, he refused to divulge details about Karnan's illness or the tests conducted on him.

Earlier, at the Kolkata airport, the CID officials who brought Karnan from Tamil Nadu, said his medical tests were completed at the airport and no irregularities were found.

The controversial judge, who was sentenced to six-month imprisonment on May 9 by the Supreme Court and thereafter remained untraceable till his arrest, was brought to Kolkata from Chennai in a plane around 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

Justice Karnan was held guilty of contempt for his utterances against the Chief Justice of India and other judges of the higher judiciary. Justice Karnan left Kolkata for Chennai went underground thereafter. He retired from service earlier this month.