Lawyer attempts to throw shoe at CJI BR Gavai in Supreme Court over deity remarks; accused taken into custody
During a hearing, a lawyer allegedly tried to throw a shoe at Chief Justice of India BR Gavai. The accused is taken into custody.
Aadrika Tayal 
New Delhi (India) October 6: According to reports, there was an attempt to throw a shoe at Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai. Court employees quickly took the offender. They identified him as attorney Rakesh Kishore. They took him into custody and turned him over to the police.
CJI Remained Calm
Earlier, Kishore was yelling, "Sanatan's insult will not be tolerated." According to reports, Chief Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai maintained his composure the entire time. Later, he said that he is unaffected by such situations. He urged the proceedings to go as usual.
The accused is presently being questioned by the Delhi DCP and security officers from the Supreme Court.
Background on Deity Remarks Controversy
The Supreme Court denied a plea on September 16. It was asking for instructions to rebuild and install a seven-foot idol of Lord Vishnu at the Javari Temple. The court had referred to it as a "publicity interest litigation" and rejected the plea.
The CJI said, " This is purely 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".
According to the bench, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had direct authority over the matter.
The Court said, "It's an archaeological find, whether the ASI would permit such a thing to be done or not. There are various issues. In the meantime, if you are not averse to Shaivism, you can go and worship there. There is a very big linga of Shiva, one of the biggest in Khajuraho."
Social Media Backlash and Misrepresentation Claims
However, the Chief Justice stated that his views were "misrepresented". He emphasized that he "respects all religions" after receiving a lot of backlash on social media and lawyers. They were requesting an explanation for the controversial remarks.
Concerns Raised About Misinformation Online
In court, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta spoke about the dangers of false information on the internet.
He said, “We used to know Newton’s third law: every action has an equal and opposite reaction. But now, every action has a disproportionate social media reaction.”
A lawyer who saw the incident said that the shoe just missed Justice Vinod Chandran. The accused advocate, Rakesh Kishore, then apologized. He claimed that the shoe was intended for the Chief Justice of India.
Calls for Action and Condemnation from Legal Fraternity
According to Supreme Court attorney Rohit Pandey, the accused has been a Bar Association member since 2011. He said, “The act appears to have been in response to the Chief Justice’s deity remarks. I strongly condemn this incident and urge that strict action be taken against the accused”.
Despite the attempted assault, the proceedings continued in a normal manner. The CJI urged everyone to remain composed and focused.
