Key Takeaways:
- A senior advocate, Rakesh Kishore, attempted to throw a shoe at Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai during proceedings.
- The act appeared to be a deliberate effort to insult and demoralize the Chief Justice following remarks in a temple idol case.
- The Bar Council of India has suspended Kishore’s licence, calling his conduct “a stain on professional dignity.”
- CJI Gavai refused to be disturbed, directing that the court’s work continue uninterrupted.
New Delhi: What unfolded in the Supreme Court on Monday was less a disturbance and more a calculated attempt to demean the authority of India’s highest judicial office. During the morning session in Court No. 1, senior advocate Rakesh Kishore, 71, removed a shoe and moved toward the dais where Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai was presiding. Before he could act, court security intervened and restrained him.
Witnesses said Kishore shouted “Sanatan ka apmaan nahi sahenge” — “We will not tolerate insult to Sanatan Dharma” — as he was escorted out. The Chief Justice remained unperturbed, instructing that the matter not interrupt the proceedings and that the next case be taken up as scheduled.
Preliminary reports indicate that the provocation stemmed from Kishore’s displeasure over CJI Gavai’s remark in a previous hearing on a petition concerning restoration of a damaged Lord Vishnu idol at Khajuraho. The Chief Justice had reportedly remarked, “Go and ask the deity itself to do something,” while rejecting the plea. The observation, intended as judicial irony, appears to have been interpreted by the advocate as an affront to religious sentiment.
Kishore, who has practiced for over four decades and is enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi, is known among colleagues as a vocal, if sometimes volatile, participant in courtroom debates. He resides in Delhi’s Mayur Vihar area and has been associated with both the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Shahdara Bar Association.
Suspension of license
Following the incident, the Registrar General of the Supreme Court handed the advocate over to the Delhi Police for questioning. Since no formal complaint was filed by the court, he was released after preliminary interrogation. Nonetheless, the Bar Council of India moved swiftly to suspend him from practice with immediate effect, calling his act “inconsistent with the dignity and ethics of advocacy.” Disciplinary proceedings will determine whether he will be permanently debarred.
Assault on Constitution: Sonia Gandhi
Political and institutional reactions were swift. Senior leaders and jurists condemned the attempt, describing it as an “attack on the institution of the judiciary.” Congress leader Sonia Gandhi called it “an assault on the Constitution itself,” urging solidarity in defence of judicial independence. Several bar leaders also cautioned that allowing religious sentiment to spill into courtroom conduct could have dangerous implications for India’s constitutional order.
The incident has reignited discussion about security and sanctity in courtrooms, especially in the Chief Justice’s court, which is one of the most heavily monitored spaces in India’s judicial system. Officials said access protocols will be reviewed.
CJI Gavai, known for his measured temperament, set the tone for the court’s response: calm, deliberate, and unprovoked. His decision to continue the day’s business signaled an important message — that the judiciary will not allow intimidation, even symbolic, to disturb its composure or compromise its independence.
