New Delhi: Attorney General for India R. Venkataramani has granted consent to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against Advocate Rakesh Kishore, who attempted to throw a shoe at Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai during a hearing inside the Supreme Court.
AG R Venkataramani gives consent for criminal contempt proceedings
The development was brought to the court’s notice by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Senior Advocate Vikas Singh, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), before a Bench led by Justice Surya Kant. The SCBA informed the court that its Executive Committee had convened immediately after the incident and unanimously condemned the act as “disgraceful”.
SC calls for restraint, says violence can never be justified
Justice Surya Kant noted that the Chief Justice had shown “magnanimity” by treating the episode as a “forgotten chapter”, reflecting the institution’s strength and maturity. “Violence can never be justified,” Justice Kant said, warning that publicising such behaviour risks turning it into a spectacle.
Solicitor General Mehta said that glorifying such conduct online was deeply troubling, pointing out that “some even claimed it should have been done long ago”. He cautioned that social media algorithms feed on outrage and hatred, distorting narratives around the judiciary.
Bar Council takes swift disciplinary action
Following the incident, the Bar Council of India suspended Kishore’s licence to practise law and issued a show-cause notice. The SCBA also revoked his temporary membership, describing his actions as “reprehensible, disorderly and unbecoming of an officer of the court”.
Legal fraternity, political bodies condemn attack on judiciary’s dignity
Several legal and political bodies, including the All India Lawyers’ Union and the All India Bar Association, condemned the attack as an assault on the dignity of the judiciary and called for strong punitive measures.
The Supreme Court Bench will review the matter after the Diwali break, reaffirming its intent to uphold the court’s decorum while resisting the temptation to fuel further public outrage.