Lawyer tries to hurl shoe at CJI inside SC

A 71-year-old Delhi-based lawyer attempted to remove his shoe and hurl it at Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai during court proceedings on Monday but the CJI chose not to take any action, directing officials to “just ignore” the incident, even as the Bar Council of India (BCI) suspended the lawyer and Delhi Police detained and questioned him for several hours before letting him go.

- Utkarsh Anand

According to a person aware of the matter, after security personnel swiftly intervened and escorted the lawyer out of the CJI Bhushan R Gavai courtroom around 11.35am, court officials sought the CJI's instructions on how to proceed. “Just ignore,” the CJI reportedly told them, asking that the lawyer be warned and let go.

The lawyer was later identified as Rakesh Kishore, an advocate and resident of Delhi's Mayur Vihar, registered with the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) as a temporary member since 2011.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the incident. “The attack on him...has angered every Indian. There is no place for such reprehensible acts in our society. I appreciated the calm displayed by Justice Gavai in the face of such a situation,” he posted on X. Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi also denounced the breach, calling it “an assault” not just on CJI “but on our Constitution as well”.

The dramatic incident unfolded during the mentioning of cases before the CJI's bench, when Kishore suddenly approached the dais and tried to remove his shoe. As he was being restrained and taken away, he was heard shouting: "Sanatan ka apman nahi sahenge (We will not tolerate any insult to Sanatan)." Unfazed by the commotion, the CJI urged lawyers to continue with the day's proceedings. "Don't get distracted by all this. We are not distracted.

These things do not affect me," he said calmly, before resuming the hearings.

"Speaking to HT, Kishore said he did not regret his actions as he made several incoherent claims, and suggested he was guided by a "divine force".

Later in the day, BCI took a stern view of the incident, ordering Kishore's immediate suspension from practice.