A viral post claims Justice Karnan was recently released after a jail term for contempt. However, fact-checking confirms this incident happened in 2017, making the post misleading and outdated.
A post about former Calcutta High Court judge Justice C.S. Karnan is going viral on social media, particularly on Facebook. The post claims that Justice Karnan, who had raised his voice against judicial corruption, has now been released after serving a six-month jail term for contempt of court. The way this information is being shared makes it seem like a recent incident. However, a fact-check by Sajag has revealed that this event occurred several years ago and is now being reshared with misleading context.
What Does the Social Media Post Claim?
A Facebook user named Praveen Kumar shared a post that states:
“This is Justice Chinnaswamy Swaminathan Karnan. He has been released after serving a six-month jail sentence for contempt of court. Karnan was not just any ordinary person; he was a judge of the Madras High Court and the first Dalit judge there. He also became the first sitting judge to be sentenced to jail.
In 2017, Justice Karnan sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, listing allegations of corruption against 20 judges. The letter caused a significant controversy and led to a constitutional crisis. This was the first time in history that a sitting judge had accused other judges of corruption. The central government did not release the letter publicly, and the Supreme Court took action against Justice Karnan for contempt of court.
Justice Karnan, in turn, sentenced the Chief Justice of India and several other judges to five years of rigorous imprisonment. However, the Supreme Court overruled this and sentenced him instead. Many called him mentally unstable at the time. But now, after crores of black money have been found at a judge’s residence, it is evident that Karnan was right. The judiciary needs internal reform, and Justice Karnan attempted to bring about that change. We can only hope for more such courageous judges in the future.”
What Is the Truth Behind Justice Karnan Viral Claim?
A fact-checking search using relevant keywords led to multiple news reports confirming that Justice Karnan was sentenced in June 2017 and released in December 2017. A December 20, 2017, report by The Hindu confirmed that he was freed from Kolkata’s Presidency Jail after completing his six-month sentence for contempt of court. The Supreme Court had sentenced him in May 2017, and he was arrested on June 21, 2017.
Conclusion
The viral post about Justice C.S. Karnan’s release is being presented as a recent incident, but fact-checking confirms that this event occurred nearly seven years ago. Justice Karnan was sentenced in June 2017 and released in December 2017. The misleading post is an example of how old events can resurface on social media, creating unnecessary confusion among the public.
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