The Madras High Court has directed the State to take steps to ensure the security of Senior Advocate S Prabakaran and Chairman of the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, PS Amalraj in the wake of threats stated to have been issued over the Bar Council’s plea for criminal action against former judge CS Karnan for his vituperative comments against women and the judiciary.

On Friday, the Bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and A Nakkiran was informed by Additional Public Prosecutor K Prabhakar that the handwritten letters were seized from Karnan’s premises, which disclosed that abusive, indecent and vituperative comments were made against the Supreme Court and other Judges.

These letters are stated to have been written by Karnan in his capacity as the Founder-President of the Anti Corruption Dynamic Party. The said documents have been submitted before the Magistrate court and an investigation would be carried out into the same, the Court was told.

Appearing for the Bar Council, Senior Advocate Prabhakaran, assisted by Advocate CK Chandrasekaran, informed the Court that some threats were issued to him and his family members, who were advised to be very careful. The Court was further told that Prabhakaran has since been provided with two personal security officers and two police officers were posted at his house.

All the same, the Court opined that enhanced security ought to be provided to Prabhakaran, and ordered accordingly.

In the meanwhile. PS Amalraj who presently helms the petitioner-Bar Council as its Chairman was also stated to have faced similar threats. The Court has, therefore, directed the State authorities to do the needful to allay such threats.

The matter has been posted for further hearing on March 12, with the Court also expressing that it is optimistic that an effective, quality and scientific probe would be carried out by the authorities.

Three FIRs were registered last year against Karnan over derogatory remarks allegedly made by him against women and the judiciary in videos uploaded online.

A petition for action against Karnan and the content allegedly disseminated on his behalf was initiated by the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Following this, the High Court passed orders directing the blocking of remarks made by Karnan from social media on November 10. With the High Court monitoring the case, the police eventually arrested Karnan. A bail petition moved by Karnan earlier this month was dismissed as withdrawn by the High Court earlier this month.

Karnan had served as a judge of the Madras and Calcutta High Courts, before he was held guilty of contempt of court by the Supreme Court for making unfounded allegations against the judges of the top court. He was sentenced to six months imprisonment in that case and was released from prison in December 2017.

Read the order: