Lawyer Throws Shoe at India’s Chief Justice During Hearing

A lawyer disrupted a Supreme Court hearing in India on October 30, 2023, by hurling a shoe at Chief Justice BR Gavai. This incident, which occurred during a session in New Delhi, has generated widespread condemnation and raised serious concerns regarding courtroom security.

During the hearing, 71-year-old Rakesh Kishore reportedly shouted slogans related to “Sanatan Dharma,” a term often synonymous with Hinduism, as he threw the shoe. Fortunately, the object fell near the bench, narrowly missing the Chief Justice and another judge. Following the incident, Justice Gavai confirmed he was unharmed, stating, “I only heard the sound. Maybe it fell on some table or somewhere.”

Eyewitnesses described the event as chaotic, with the shoe brushing past the judges before landing behind them. Advocate Ravi Shanker Jha, who was present in the courtroom, noted that after Kishore was restrained by security, Justice Gavai urged the lawyers to continue their arguments without distraction.

Kishore was quickly apprehended by courtroom security and taken into custody by the Delhi Police. He was questioned for approximately three hours but released after the Supreme Court’s registrar general indicated that the Chief Justice did not wish to pursue charges against him. The police reported finding a handwritten note on Kishore, which stated, in Hindi, “My message is for every follower of Sanatan Dharma: India will not tolerate an insult to Hinduism.”

In a post-incident interview, Kishore expressed no remorse, asserting, “I did not do it; God did.” He claimed his actions were a response to Justice Gavai’s comments made on September 16, 2023, regarding a dismissed plea to replace a damaged statue of the Hindu god Vishnu. The Chief Justice had suggested that the petitioner should “go and ask the deity himself to do something,” remarks that sparked significant backlash on social media.

Justice Gavai later clarified that his comments had been misconstrued, emphasizing his respect for all religions. The Supreme Court Bar Association responded to the incident by suspending Kishore, labeling his behavior as “utterly unbecoming of an officer of the court.” The association emphasized that such actions undermine mutual respect between the judiciary and the legal community, constituting a direct assault on judicial independence.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the incident, stating, “There is no place for such reprehensible acts in our society.” He added that the attack had “angered every Indian.” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta attributed Kishore’s actions to “misinformation on social media,” expressing relief at the Chief Justice’s composed reaction, while cautioning that such magnanimity should not be perceived as weakness.

Opposition leaders also voiced their outrage. Sonia Gandhi, leader of the Congress party, described the incident as an attack not only on Justice Gavai but also on the constitution. Other political figures, including members of the Communist Party of India, characterized the act as an assault on the dignity of the judiciary. D Raja, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India, called the incident an attempt to impose a right-wing ideology over constitutional values.

Justice Gavai is set to retire next month and is currently under a high-security cover provided by the Delhi police. Senior advocate Indira Jaising has called for a detailed investigation into the incident, labeling it a “blatant casteist attack on the Supreme Court of India.” She urged a united response from the judiciary to assert that ideological attacks will not be tolerated.

The unprecedented nature of this incident underscores the tensions surrounding the intersection of law, religion, and public sentiment in India, prompting calls for a thorough examination of courtroom security protocols and the implications of political discourse on judicial respect.