‘Give Suggestions’: Supreme Court Seeks Preventive Measures After Attempted Shoe Attack On CJI
M.U.H
13/11/202511
The Supreme Court on Wednesday urged the attorney general (AG), the top court’s Bar Council and lawyers, to “give suggestions" on measures to prevent the recurrence of incidents like attempted shoe hurling at Chief Justice BR Gavai in the court premises.
A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, while hearing a plea filed by the SCBA seeking contempt action against 71-year-old advocate Rakesh Kishore, who had allegedly attempted to throw a shoe at the CJI on October 6, adjourned the petition and said that the top court will look into whatever needs to be done, news agency PTI reported.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday urged the attorney general (AG), the top court’s Bar Council and lawyers, to “give suggestions" on measures to prevent the recurrence of incidents like attempted shoe hurling at Chief Justice BR Gavai in the court premises.
A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, while hearing a plea filed by the SCBA seeking contempt action against 71-year-old advocate Rakesh Kishore, who had allegedly attempted to throw a shoe at the CJI on October 6, adjourned the petition and said that the top court will look into whatever needs to be done, news agency PTI reported.
Earlier, on October 27, the top court had declined to issue contempt notice against the lawyer, observing that issuing such notice would only give undue importance to the individual and extend the shelf life of the incident.
The court had noted that while the act constituted “serious and grave criminal contempt", it would defer to the CJI’s decision to show leniency. Noting that the CJI himself had refused to proceed against Kishore, the top court had said shouting slogans in court and hurling shoes are clear cases of contempt of court but it all depends on the judge concerned under the law whether to proceed or not.
It had said that issuing a contempt notice would only give undue importance to the lawyer who had hurled the shoe towards the CJI and would increase the shelf life of the incident, underscoring that the incident should be allowed to die its own natural death.
Observing that though the conduct of Kishore “amounted to serious and grave criminal contempt which cannot be pardoned", the top court had wondered whether it should exercise its jurisdiction when the CJI has already shown leniency in pursuing the matter.
In an unusual incident last month, an individual, identified as Advocate Rakesh Kishore, attempted to throw an object at CJI Gavai during court proceedings.
Kishore shouted slogans but was quickly escorted out of the courtroom by security personnel. He reportedly raised the slogan – “Sanatan Dharam ka apmaan nahi sahega Hindustan" (“India will not tolerate disrespect towards Sanatan Dharma") while being removed from the courtroom.
The incident attracted widespread criticism from the legal community. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Chief Ministers MK Stalin, Pinarayi Vijayan, Siddaramaiah, Revanth Reddy, Mamata Banerjee, among other political leaders, also condemned the act and expressed solidarity with the CJI.
Subsequently, the Supreme Court Bar Association filed a petition seeking criminal contempt proceedings against Kishore. However, the bench expressed reservations about pursuing contempt action, wondering if it would revive the issue again. Pointing out that CJI Gavai himself had decided not to pursue action against Kishore, the bench suggested that it would be wise to let the issue die its natural death.
