Attack on CJI BR Gavai: Criminal contempt proceedings sought against Advocate Rakesh Kishore for trying to hurl shoe

A Supreme Court lawyer has written to the Attorney General of India, requesting permission to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against Advocate Rakesh Kishore, who allegedly tried to hurl a shoe at Chief Justice of India BR Gavai inside the apex court on Monday, LiveLaw reported.

Advocate Subhash Chandran KR, in his letter, requested Attorney General R. Venkataramani to grant consent under Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, arguing that Kishore’s act of throwing a shoe at the dais and shouting slogans against the Chief Justice constitutes a serious disruption to the justice system and diminishes the authority and dignity of the Supreme Court.

The lawyer highlighted that following the incident, Kishore continued to make contemptuous statements about the Chief Justice during media interactions, showing “no remorse” and instead defending his actions. According to the petitioner, this conduct represents a clear attempt to scandalise the court and weaken public trust in the judiciary.

As per the report, the letter emphasised that “the most contemptuous act of the Contemnor diminishes the majesty and authority of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and defeats the Constitution of India.”

What happened?

The incident took place on Monday morning in Courtroom No. 1 of the Supreme Court, where Advocate Rakesh Kishore attempted to throw a shoe at Chief Justice of India BR Gavai during an ongoing hearing. Security personnel promptly intervened and restrained him. As he was being escorted out, he shouted, “Sanatan ka apman nahi sahega Hindustan” (Hindustan will not tolerate insults to Sanatan Dharma).

Following this, the Bar Council of India suspended him, calling his behaviour unbecoming of the legal profession. However, the Delhi Police later released him after the Supreme Court’s Registrar General chose not to initiate further legal proceedings.

PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi and others condemn the act

The attempted attack sparked widespread condemnation. Political leaders across party lines, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and Chief Ministers MK Stalin, Pinarayi Vijayan, Siddaramaiah, Revanth Reddy, Mamata Banerjee and many other political leaders condemned the act and showcased support for the CJI.

Meanwhile, another petition was submitted to the Attorney General seeking contempt action against religious orator Aniruddhacharya, also known as Aniruddh Ram Tiwari, and YouTuber Ajeet Bharti for allegedly provoking the attack through inflammatory remarks targeting the CJI.