Lawyer tries to hurl shoe towards CJI BR Gavai in courtroom

New Delhi: In a shocking security breach, a 71-year-old lawyer allegedly attempted to hurl a shoe towards Chief Justice of India B R Gavai in his courtroom in the Supreme Court on Monday, prompting the Bar Council of India to suspend his license with immediate effect.

As he was being taken away, the lawyer was heard shouting, “Sanatan ka apman nahi sahenge” (We will not tolerate insult of Sanatan Dharma).

The CJI, who remained unfazed during and after the unprecedented incident during the court proceedings, asked the court officials and the security personnel present inside the courtroom to “just ignore” it and to let off the errant lawyer identified as Rakesh Kishore with a warning.

“Don’t get distracted by all this. We are not distracted. These things do not affect me,” the CJI, who was sitting on the bench with Justice K Vinod Chandran, told lawyers and continued hearing the mentioning of cases.

According to sources, the incident could be linked to the lawyer’s unhappiness over the CJI’s remarks during a hearing last month concerning the restoration of a Vishnu idol in Khajuraho.

A bench headed by the CJI had dismissed the plea seeking directions to reconstruct and reinstall a seven-foot idol of Lord Vishnu at the Javari temple, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Khajuraho temple complex in Madhya Pradesh.

Terming the plea a “publicity interest litigation”, the CJI had said, “This is purely publicity interest litigation…. Go and ask the deity himself to do something. If you are saying that you are a strong devotee of Lord Vishnu, then you pray and do some meditation.”

Taking note of the online criticism of his comments, the CJI later said he respects “all religions”.

Bar bodies, lawyers strongly condemn attack on CJI Gavai

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), headed by senior advocate Vikas Singh, expressed its “profound shock, outrage, and unequivocal condemnation” over what it termed a “reprehensible act” committed by an advocate inside CJI’s courtroom.

In a strongly worded resolution passed unanimously, the SCBA described the advocate’s conduct as “utterly unbecoming of an officer of the Court” and said it “strikes at the very foundation of mutual respect that underpins the relationship between the Bench and the Bar”.

The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA), headed by Vipin Nair, described the incident as a “disrespectful and intemperate gesture” by an advocate.

The Bar Council of India, headed by Manan Kumar Mishra, swung into action and swiftly ordered the immediate suspension of advocate Rakesh Kishore for allegedly attempting to hurl a shoe towards the CJI.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta described the act as “unfortunate and condemnable”, calling it a result of misinformation and an attempt at cheap publicity.

“Today’s incident in the chief justice’s court is unfortunate and deserves condemnation. This is the result of misinformation in social media. It is really heartening that the chief justice of India reacted with magnanimity… I only hope that this magnanimity is not treated by others as the weakness of the institution,” the top law officer said.

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Senior advocate Indira Jaising termed the episode “an attack on the institution as a whole”.

“I am not an eyewitness to the incident. What I know, I know from what the press has reported. It calls for investigation. I consider it to be an attack on the institution as a whole, not just the chief justice,” she said.

The SCBA, in its resolution, “unanimously” expressed “profound shock, outrage, and unequivocal condemnation of the reprehensible act committed by an advocate”. “Such intemperate behaviour is utterly unbecoming of an officer of the court and strikes at the very foundation of mutual respect that underpins the relationship between the Bench and the Bar,” it said.

Commending the “calm composure and exemplary restraint” shown by the CJI despite the provocation, the SCBA said Justice Gavai had continued to discharge his duties “with dignity and poise, upholding the highest traditions of the judiciary”.

Reaffirming its “complete solidarity” with the CJI and the companion judges of the Supreme Court, the SCBA underscored that the “Bench and the Bar are two indispensable pillars of the justice delivery system, bound by mutual respect and a shared constitutional responsibility”.

The SCAORA, in a statement issued by its secretary Nikhil Jain, asked the top court to “take suo motu cognizance of the said conduct and initiate appropriate proceedings for contempt of court, as the act/gesture is a calculated move to scandalise the authority of the Supreme Court and lower its dignity in the eyes of the public”.

It said such an action would serve as a necessary reminder that freedom of speech, while sacrosanct, carries with it a duty of restraint, particularly for members of the legal profession who are officers of the court.

The association said that it “unanimously expresses its deep anguish and disapproval at the recent act of an advocate who, by his unwarranted and intemperate gesture, sought to disrespect the office and authority of the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India and his companion Judges”.

Such conduct is unbecoming of a member of the Bar and strikes at the very foundation of mutual respect that sustains the relationship between the Bench and the Bar, it said.

The behaviour is antithetical to the dignity of the legal profession and contrary to the constitutional values of decorum, discipline, and institutional integrity, it added.

“Any attempt to malign or a personalised act/gesture aimed against a sitting judge of the Hon’ble Supreme Court constitutes a direct assault on the independence of the judiciary and undermines public faith in the justice delivery system,” it said.

The bar body said that it unequivocally condemns this “cowardly and disrespectful act” and stands in complete solidarity with the CJI and the entire judiciary in upholding the majesty, independence, and impartiality of the Supreme Court.

“The Association reaffirms its faith in the principles of secularism, unity, and fraternity, which form the cornerstone of both our Constitution and the Bar’s collective conscience. It calls upon all members of the legal fraternity to uphold professional decorum, refrain from divisive conduct, and work together to preserve the dignity and unity of the institution we serve,” it said.

PM Modi speaks to CJI Gavai

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to Chief Justice of India B R Gavai to convey his condemnation and said the attack has angered every Indian.

“There is no place for such reprehensible acts in our society,” he said and praised Gavai for maintaining calm following the incident.

Modi posted on X, “Spoke to Chief Justice of India, Justice B R Gavai Ji.

Spoke to Chief Justice of India, Justice BR Gavai Ji. The attack on him earlier today in the Supreme Court premises has angered every Indian. There is no place for such reprehensible acts in our society. It is utterly condemnable.

I appreciated the calm displayed by Justice…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 6, 2025

“The attack on him earlier today in the Supreme Court premises has angered every Indian. There is no place for such reprehensible acts in our society. It is utterly condemnable.”

He added, “I appreciated the calm displayed by Justice Gavai in the face of such a situation. It highlights his commitment to values of justice and strengthening the spirit of our Constitution.”

Political parties condemn attack on CJI

The Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) called the incident “yet another example of the Manuvadi and communal venom injected into society by Hindutva communal forces.”

“The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly condemns the act of throwing a shoe at the Chief Justice of India, BR Gavai. It demands that immediate action be taken against the concerned advocate, who is registered with the Supreme Court Bar Association and has been apprehended,” the CPI(M) said in a statement.

The party demanded that the Union government extend adequate protection to CJI Gavai.

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, in a statement, said that it was not just an attack on the CJI but on our Constitution.

“No words are adequate to condemn the attack on the Honourable Chief Justice of India in the Supreme Court itself. It is an assault not just on him but on our Constitution as well. Chief Justice Gavai has been very gracious but the nation must stand in solidarity with him unitedly with a deep sense of anguish and outrage,” she said.

Statement of CPP Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi Ji

No words are adequate to condemn the attack on the Honourable Chief Justice of India in the Supreme Court itself. It is an assault not just on him, but on our Constitution as well.

Chief Justice Gavai has been very gracious… pic.twitter.com/3FgEk2q5gV

— Congress (@INCIndia) October 6, 2025

In a post on X, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the attack was an assault on the dignity of the judiciary and the spirit of the Constitution.

“Such hatred has no place in our nation and must be condemned,” he said.

The attack on the Chief Justice of India is an assault on the dignity of our judiciary and the spirit of our Constitution.

Such hatred has no place in our nation and must be condemned.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 6, 2025

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said, “An attempt to attack the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India in the Supreme Court today is unprecedented, shameful and abhorrent. It is an attack on the dignity of our Judiciary and the rule of law.”

In a post on X, he said that it was disturbing that a sitting judge, who rose to the nation’s highest judicial office through merit, integrity, and perseverance, was targeted in such a manner.

“It reflects an attempt to intimidate and humiliate a man who has broken social barriers to uphold the Constitution.

An attempt to attack the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India in the Supreme Court today is unprecedented, shameful and abhorrent. It is an attack on the dignity of our Judiciary and the rule of law.

When a sitting Chief Justice who rose to the nation’s highest judicial office through…

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) October 6, 2025

“Such a mindless act shows how hate, fanaticism and bigotry has engulfed our society in the past decade,” the Congress president said.

“On behalf of the Indian National Congress, I condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms. The safety and security of our Judiciary is paramount. Let justice and reason prevail, not intimidation,” Kharge asserted.

(The copy has been updated with latest information)

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