The arrest of Justice Chinnaswamy Swaminathan Karnan of the Kolkata High Court marks the first time that a High Court judge has been jailed for contempt in India, BBC News reports.

It marks the latest stage of a steadily escalating face-off between Justice Karnan and the Supreme Court, which began when he called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to investigate 20 “corrupt judges”.

The Supreme Court subsequently transferred him from Madras High Court to Kolkata, which he claimed was caste discrimination.

The Supreme Court has tried to have the renegade judge undergo a psychiatric evaluation, but he has consistently refused the examination.

Justice Karnan, who was due to retire by June, has matched every order issued against him with his own unenforced counter-orders issued from his home, which he calls his “home court”.

The Supreme Court has told courts and tribunals to ignore his orders.

Justice Karnan will serve six months in prison for contempt.​