A lawyer allegedly attempted to assault Chief Justice of India BR Gavai by throwing a shoe inside the Supreme Court. SCBA, SCAORA, and BCI condemned the act, calling it an attack on judicial independence and suspended the lawyer.
New Delhi: On Monday, the Supreme Court witnessed a shocking incident when a lawyer allegedly tried to assault Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai inside Court No. 1. The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) strongly condemned the act, calling it a “direct assault” on judicial independence and a “disgrace to the legal profession.”
The incident occurred around 11:35 AM, when 71-year-old advocate Rakesh Kishore reportedly attempted to take off his shoes and hurl them at CJI Gavai. Security personnel immediately restrained and escorted him out of the courtroom.
As he was being removed, Kishore was heard shouting,
“Sanatan dharma ka apmaan nahi sahega Hindustan.”
CJI Gavai remained calm, urging the lawyers in court to continue their proceedings as usual, saying,
“Don’t get distracted by all this. We are not distracted. These things do not affect me.”
According to Delhi Police sources, the lawyer’s action was reportedly triggered by the Chief Justice’s remarks in a previous hearing related to the restoration of a 7-foot beheaded idol of Lord Vishnu at the Khajuraho Temple complex in Madhya Pradesh.
During that hearing on September 16, CJI Gavai had observed that such matters fall under the purview of the Archaeological Survey of India.
He had remarked,
“This is purely a 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 comment went viral on social media and drew criticism from some quarters. Two days later, the Chief Justice clarified in court, stating,
“I respect all religions…This happened on social media.”
Following the shoe-throwing attempt, SCBA said it was “profoundly shocked” and “outraged” by what it called a “reprehensible act” committed by a member of the Bar inside the Chief Justice’s courtroom.
The SCBA said,
“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,”
The Association described the attack as a direct assault on judicial independence and said it violated constitutional values of decorum and discipline. It noted,
“This incident, reportedly stemming from a misguided backlash against the Hon’ble Chief Justice’s judicious observations in the Khajuraho Vishnu Idol Restoration matter, where His Lordship emphasized respect for all religions and clarified his remarks amid social media distortions, cannot be tolerated.”
The SCBA commended CJI Gavai for his restraint and composure in the face of provocation. It also revealed that Kishore is a temporary member of the Association and that disciplinary action is being considered.
The SCBA criticized sections of the media for sensationalising judicial remarks.
The Association added,
“By amplifying misrepresented narratives on social media, such as portraying the Hon’ble Chief Justice’s balanced observations in the Khajuraho case as being disrespectful to religious sentiments, the media has recklessly fuelled public outrage, incited vigilante reactions, and undermined the judiciary’s authority for the sake of visibility and sensationalism,”
Echoing these sentiments, SCAORA described the act as “cowardly” and “disrespectful,” emphasizing,
“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 added that any attempt to malign or personally target a sitting judge of the Supreme Court amounted to a direct assault on judicial independence and urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the incident and initiate contempt proceedings.
Both associations reaffirmed their commitment to secularism, unity, and fraternity, calling upon the legal fraternity to maintain professional decorum and protect the dignity of the institution.
Meanwhile, the Bar Council of India (BCI) announced that Kishore has been suspended from practice.
The incident may have been triggered by CJI Gavai’s remarks in a previous case concerning the restoration of a 7-foot beheaded Lord Vishnu idol at Khajuraho.
The Supreme Court had dismissed a petition seeking to replace the damaged idol at the Javari temple, arguing that it was essential for reviving the temple’s sanctity and resuming worship.
The temple, constructed by the Chandela rulers between 1050 and 1075 AD, is part of the Khajuraho complex, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Devotees had claimed that the broken idol was hindering prayers at the sanctum sanctorum.
Addressing petitioner Rakesh Dalal, who has been advocating for the restoration of broken idols, CJI Gavai said,
“This is purely publicity interest litigation, Go and ask the deity itself to do something now. You say you are a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu. So go and pray now.”
The comment, delivered sarcastically in open court, quickly drew attention outside the courtroom. Posts calling for the impeachment of CJI Gavai gained traction, reflecting a tension between religious devotion and constitutional law.
The attempted attack drew strong condemnation from across the political spectrum.
The All India Bar Association (AIBA) has urged the Delhi Police to register an FIR, citing serious offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The CJI remained composed, and the advocate was detained, questioned, and later released.
The incident reportedly stemmed from a misunderstanding related to remarks on restoring a beheaded Lord Vishnu idol in Khajuraho. Prime Minister Modi and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta condemned the act, praising the Chief Justice’s calm response.
AIBA Chairman Dr. Adish C Aggarwala expressed the legal fraternity’s shock over the incident.
He said,
“The entire legal fraternity was deeply disturbed by the unprecedented incident that took place inside the Supreme Court.”
Dr. Aggarwala further stated that while the Chief Justice of India displayed “magnanimity and composure” by refusing to initiate contempt proceedings, the act still constituted serious offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and demanded prompt police action.
Referring to the reasons behind the incident, Dr. Aggarwala noted that the controversy stemmed from a misunderstanding of the Chief Justice’s earlier remarks during judicial proceedings.
Despite the high level of security inside the Supreme Court, the unexpected disturbance occurred around 11:35 a.m. in Court No. 1, while cases were being mentioned before the Chief Justice’s Bench.
Eyewitnesses reported that Advocate Rakesh Kishore suddenly removed his footwear and hurled it in the direction of the dais. Fortunately, the object did not reach the Bench, and order was restored quickly after security personnel restrained him.
Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan said,
“This is a dastardly attempt by a lawyer with a brahminical mindset to intimidate the CJI. Constitutes criminal contempt of court. The lawyer should be prosecuted.”
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted,
“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 merit, integrity, and perseverance — is targeted in such a manner, it sends a deeply disturbing message. It reflects an attempt to intimidate and humiliate a man who has broken social barriers to uphold the Constitution. Such mindless act shows how hate, fanaticism and bigotry has engulfed our society in the past decade. 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.”
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said,
“Strongly condemn the attempted attack on Chief Justice B.R. Gavai in the Supreme Court. This alarming incident is a reflection of the hatred spread by the Sangh Parivar. To dismiss it as an individual act is to ignore the growing climate of intolerance. When communal fanaticism dares to target even the Chief Justice of India, it exposes the grave danger of this divisive and venomous politics that must be confronted without hesitation.”
Senior Advocate Indira Jaisingh stated,
“I am not an eyewitness to the incident; what I know, I know from reading what the press has published. It calls for investigation. I consider it to be an attack on the institution as a whole, not just CJI. I do consider it to be a casteist remark against the Chief Justice… It requires a legal response from the Supreme Court of India.”
BJP leader Sanjay Hegde praised the Chief Justice’s composure, tweeting,
“Full marks to the calm and composed demeanour with which the CJI continued the proceedings. Such odd events have happened before as well. CJI Hidayatullah, also from Nagpur had a shoe thrown by a disgruntled litigant. He ordered the shoe to be returned saying, ‘The man has lost his case, he should not lose his shoe as well’.”
Opposition leaders also criticized the political climate. Sharad Pawar said,
“The judiciary exists to uphold the values of democracy and the Constitution. An attempt to attack the Chief Justice of India in the highest institution of justice (Supreme Court) is not merely an assault on the judiciary, but a grave insult to our democracy, our Constitution, and our nation itself.”
Congress Working Committee member Supriya Shrinate added,
“These are not self-proclaimed contractors of religion – they are zombies. Only one man is responsible for bringing my country to this brink – Narendra Modi. Imagine this happening in the highest court of this country with the most senior judge – this is not religious fanaticism, it is madness – this happening in the highest institution of justice is absolutely wrong.”
Trinamool Congress’ Rajya Sabha deputy leader Sagarika Ghose tweeted,
“The BJP and its online IT army have created this culture of dividing citizens, of shrilly demonising and targeting individuals through violent language and nasty hashtags. This online violence is leading to violent acts offline. The foul BJP IT Cell is blurring the line between online and offline attacks.”
Congress MP Manickam Tagore said,
“CJI Gavai’s composure reflects the strength of India’s judiciary — standing tall even as hate tries to shake our institutions. But let’s be honest — this is not just one person’s madness. This is the result of 100 years of RSS hate poison corroding minds and weakening respect for institutions. When hate becomes normal, justice becomes dangerous. Time for India to choose calm over chaos, humanity over hate.”
Congress MP Imran Masood highlighted the caste dimension, stating,
“They cannot accept the fact that a Dalit has become the Chief Justice of India. This was Babasaheb Ambedkar’s dream. We have been saying this time and again that hatred has been instilled in the name of caste and religion in our country. This is a result of that. They consider Dalits and Muslims as an abuse. We have been isolated in the world. You wanted to become a vishwaguru, but India has lost its friends.”
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