The Supreme Court will hear on October 27 the contempt case against advocate Rakesh Kishore, who threw a shoe at Chief Justice B R Gavai during a court session earlier this month. The incident has raised questions about courtroom decorum.
The Supreme Court is set to hear a petition on October 27 regarding contempt proceedings against advocate Rakesh Kishore, who threw a shoe at Chief Justice of India B R Gavai during a court session earlier this month.
According to the cause list for October 27 available on the Supreme Court’s website, the plea, filed by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), will be reviewed by a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi.
Earlier, On October 6, Kishore, aged 71, committed a serious security violation by throwing a shoe at the Chief Justice in the courtroom. This incident led the Bar Council of India to immediately suspend his license. The Chief Justice remained composed throughout the incident.
The event has drawn widespread attention from various sectors, including a conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chief Justice, during which the Prime Minister labeled the attack as reprehensible.
Earlier, On October 16, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and senior advocate Vikas Singh, who is also the SCBA president, requested an urgent hearing of the contempt plea against Kishore. Mehta informed the bench that Attorney General R Venkataramani had approved the initiation of criminal contempt proceedings against the lawyer, emphasizing the importance of institutional integrity.
The apex court noted that the right to speech and expression should not infringe upon the dignity and integrity of others. The court had warned about the risks of unregulated social media, stating that actions like throwing a shoe at the Chief Justice were merely money-spinning ventures.
A bench led by Justice Kant, remarked,
“We are not against freedom of speech and expression, but this right cannot be exercised at the cost of the integrity and dignity of others,”
This observation was made after Singh highlighted that Kishore had shown no remorse and was giving interviews that circulated on social media, undermining the institutional integrity of the apex court.
Singh stated,
“Social media has gone berserk over the incident. He is giving interviews and these are going on and on and demeaning the institutional integrity and dignity. Please restrain social media from airing such content. I am seeking an order on the line of a John Doe order,”
A John Doe order is a legal directive that allows action against unidentified parties.
The court suggested that the matter might be scheduled for hearing after the Diwali break.
Earlier, A shocking incident occurred inside the Supreme Court of India on 6th October, when advocate Rakesh Kishore attempted to throw a shoe at Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai during court proceedings.
The 71-year-old lawyer, a resident of Mayur Vihar and a registered member of the Supreme Court Bar Association since 2011, removed his sports shoe and hurled it toward the CJI.
The incident took place in Court No. 1 of the Supreme Court when a 71-year-old lawyer, Rakesh Kishore, tried to hurl his shoe towards the Chief Justice while proceedings were underway.
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Kishore reportedly walked close to the dais where the judges were seated, removed his shoe, and attempted to throw it.
Alert security personnel inside the courtroom immediately intervened and stopped the attack. Kishore was quickly escorted outside and prevented from causing further disturbance.
Police officials later said that the lawyer was upset with remarks made by the Chief Justice while hearing a plea connected to the restoration of a seven-foot-tall damaged Lord Vishnu idol in the Khajuraho Temple complex in Madhya Pradesh.