- Elderly man threw a shoe at Chief Justice BR Gavai in Supreme Court this morning
- The shoe did not reach the bench and the man was immediately taken into custody
- The man had a proximity card issued to lawyers and clerks with the name Kishore Rakesh
An elderly man threw a shoe at Chief Justice of India BR Gavai in the Supreme Court this morning. The shoe did not reach the bench, and the man was immediately taken into custody. Unfazed by the shocking development in the courtroom, Chief Justice Gavai said, "I am the last person to be affected by such things," and continued the hearing.
According to eyewitnesses, the Chief Justice had just started hearing the first matter of the day when the elderly man raised slogans saying, "India won't tolerate Sanatan's insult," and hurled a shoe towards the bench. Security personnel in the courtroom moved swiftly and took the shoe-thrower into custody. The shoe hurled at the Chief Justice did not reach the target.
The shoe-thrower, it is learnt, had a proximity card that is provided to lawyers and clerks in the top court. The proximity card has the name Kishore Rakesh. His intention behind targeting the Chief Justice is not known, and security agencies are questioning him to find out more. The Chief Justice, it is learnt, has asked the registry not to take any action against the man.
A lawyer present in court at the time of the incident said that the Chief Justice was calm throughout. "I am the last person to be affected by such things. Please continue (the hearing).
Senior jurist Indira Jaising said the incident must be thoroughly investigated. "The lawyer must be named, and legal action taken against him. This appears to be a blatant casteist attack on the Supreme Court of India. It deserves to be condemned by all judges of the Supreme Court by a united press statement that ideological attacks will not be tolerated by the court. Befitting the court's dignity, the CJI Gavai went about judicial work with no visible disturbance," she said in a post on X.
This comes after the Chief Justice of India drew sharp criticism on social media over his remark on Lord Vishnu. Refusing to entertain a public interest litigation seeking judicial intervention for the reconstruction of a 7-foot beheaded idol of Lord Vishnu in Khajuraho, the Chief Justice reportedly said, "Go and ask the deity himself to do something."
The remark sparked criticism, with many calling the Chief Justice disrespectful towards the faith of Lord Vishnu's devotees. The Chief Justice later said, "Someone told me the other day that the comments I made have been portrayed on social media in a certain manner. I respect all religions."
To this, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said things often get blown out of proportion on social media. "We used to know Newton's Law - every action has an equal reaction, but now every action has a disproportionate social media reaction," he said.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, also present in the courtroom, agreed. "We suffer this every day. Social media is an unruly horse, and there is no way to tame it!"
