- PM Modi spoke to the Chief Justice and condemned a lawyer's attempt to throw a shoe at him
- "There is no place for such reprehensible acts in our society," he said
- The Prime Minister also praised Chief Justice Gavai for maintaining calm "in the face of such a situation"
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Justice of India BR Gavai this evening and condemned the attack on him earlier today in the Supreme Court premises. PM Modi said the incident has "angered every Indian".
"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," he posted on X.
In a breach of decorum, an elderly lawyer threw a shoe at the Chief Justice during a court proceeding. The shoe did not reach the bench, and the man was caught and escorted out by security personnel present in the court.
Chief Justice Gavai, who was sitting on the bench with Justice K Vinod Chandran, remained unfazed during and after the shocking incident and asked court officials not to get distracted by it.
"Don't get distracted by all this. We are not distracted. These things do not affect me," he told lawyers and continued with the proceedings.
The Prime Minister said that he appreciated the calm displayed by Justice Gavai "in the face of such a situation".
"It highlights his commitment to the values of justice and strengthening the spirit of our Constitution," he said.
According to eyewitnesses, the man - identified as Rakesh Kishore through a proximity card usually issued to lawyers and clerks - approached the bench, removed his shoe and threw it towards the judges. He was immediately escorted out. He was heard shouting, "Sanatan ka apman nahi sahenge" (will not tolerate insults to Sanatan Dharma), as he was being taken away, said the eyewitnesses.
The Chief Justice asked authorities to let off Kishore with a warning. The Delhi Police questioned the lawyer for three hours inside the Supreme Court and later allowed him to leave as no formal complaint was registered against him. They also returned his shoes to him.
Lawyer Suspended By Bar Council
Hours after the unprecedented incident, the Bar Council of India ordered the immediate suspension of Kishore, saying his action was "inconsistent with the dignity of the court".
“On the basis of prima facie material, it appears that at about 11.35 am on 6 October 2025, in Court No. 1 of the Supreme Court of India, you i.e. Advocate Rakesh Kishore, enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi removed your sports shoes and attempted to hurl them towards the Hon'ble Chief Justice of India during ongoing proceedings, whereupon you were detained by security,” the BCI said.
The lawyer has now been barred from "appearing, acting, pleading and practising in any court, tribunal or authority in India".
The top bar body has also issued a show-cause notice to the lawyer. “A show cause notice shall be issued to you to explain, within 15 days from service of this order, why this action should not be continued and such further orders as deemed appropriate be passed,” it said.
The incident came a month after the Chief Justice's remark during a hearing last month about the restoration of an idol of Vishnu in Madhya Pradesh's Khajuraho.
The bench led by him dismissed the petition plea seeking directions to reconstruct and reinstall the idol of Lord Vishnu at the Javari temple. The temple is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Khajuraho complex.
"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," the Chief Justice had said.
His remarks had drawn ire on social media. Taking note of the criticism, he later said that he respects "all religions".
