SC reluctant to pursue contempt against shoe-hurling bid accused

THE COURT SAID THAT GIVING ATTENTION TO THE LAWYER WOULD ONLY GLORIFY A PERSON WHO ‘DESERVES THE CONTEMPT OF BEING IGNORED’

- Utkarsh Anand

The Supreme Court ‘on Monday expressed reluctance to initiate contempt proceedings against 7l-year-old lawyer Rakesh Kishore, who attempted to hurla shoe at Chief Justice of India Bhushan R Gavai earlier this month, questioning whether it would be proper for another bench to act when the CJI, “in his glorious magnanimity,” already decided to let the matter rest.

“There is no doubt that the act ‘was contemptuous on the face of it. The manner in which he acted cannot be pardoned. The subsequent acts aggravated his contempt. The only issue is that when the CJI has himself pardoned him, should we now initiate any action?” a bench of justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi asked.