National Times Bureau :- The Bar Council of India (BCI) on Monday ordered the immediate suspension of Supreme Court advocate Rakesh Kishore after he attempted to throw a shoe at Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai during court proceedings. The BCI also announced that disciplinary proceedings will be initiated against him under relevant legal provisions.
In its directive, the Bar Council of India stated that a show cause notice will be issued to the advocate, requiring him to respond within 15 days of receiving the order. He must explain why his suspension should not continue and why further disciplinary action should not be taken.
The suspension prohibits Kishore from appearing, acting, pleading, or practising in any court, tribunal, or authority throughout India. The Bar Council of Delhi has been instructed to implement the suspension immediately, update Kishore’s status on its official rolls, and inform all courts and tribunals under its jurisdiction about the action taken.
The shocking incident occurred earlier in the day inside the Supreme Court when Rakesh Kishore allegedly attempted to hurl a shoe at Chief Justice Gavai during a hearing. As security personnel restrained him, Kishore reportedly shouted, “India will not tolerate the insult of Sanatan Dharma.”
The outburst came just weeks after the CJI drew criticism from certain sections for his remarks during a hearing on the restoration of a damaged Vishnu idol in Madhya Pradesh’s Javari temple. At that time, Justice Gavai had commented, “This is purely a 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.”
Following the courtroom disturbance, Kishore was detained by security officials. Despite the commotion, Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who was presiding over the Bench alongside Justice Vinod Chandran, remained composed and instructed everyone to continue the proceedings.
“Don’t get distracted by all this. These things do not affect me. Continue with the hearing,” the CJI said, maintaining calm inside the courtroom.
Later, Chief Justice Gavai held a meeting with senior court officials, including the Secretary-General and security staff, to review the incident and assess necessary security protocol measures.
Eyewitnesses stated that the object narrowly missed Justice Chandran. Kishore later admitted that his target was the Chief Justice and expressed apologies to Justice Chandran for the unintended risk.
According to Supreme Court lawyer Rohit Pandey, Kishore has been a member of the Bar Association since 2011. Pandey condemned the incident, suggesting it may have been triggered by the Chief Justice’s earlier remarks, and urged the authorities to take strict disciplinary action.
Delhi Police briefly detained Kishore and released him later the same day within the court premises.
The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from the legal community, with many lawyers terming it an unprecedented breach of courtroom decorum and a serious attack on the dignity of the judiciary.
