CJI BR Gavai reacts to attempted shoe attack on him, says 'it is a forgotten chapter for us'

A shoe was hurled at the CJI on October 6

Chief Justice of India on Thursday broke silence on the attempted shoe attack on him that happened on October 6 and called it a "forgotten chapter".

According to Live Law, speaking during a courtroom exchange, the CJI said, “My learned brother and I were very shocked with what happened on Monday… for us it is a forgotten chapter."

The incident took place when a bench comprising CJI Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran was hearing the mentioning of cases. A 71-year-old lawyer, who was later identified as Rakesh Kishore, removed his shoe, and attempted to hurl it towards the judges.

Security personnel acted swiftly and no harm was reported. Rakesh Kishore shouted, "Sanatan ka apman nahi sahega Hindustan" (Hindustan will not tolerate insults to Sanatan Dharma) while being escorted out by the security personnel.

However, Gavai remained composed despite the chaos and said, "Don’t get distracted by all this. We are not distracted. These things do not affect me," he told the lawyers in the courtroom on the day of the incident.

Speaking to reporters in Amravati on Tuesday, a day after the incident, Kamaltai Gavai, CJI Gavai's mother, said such acts amount to spreading anarchy. "Every citizen has the right to express disagreement, but no one has the right to take the law into their own hands. We must protect the dignity of our democratic institutions,” she said.

“This is not just a personal attack but part of a poisonous ideology that must be checked before it spreads. Such incidents insult our Constitution and disgrace our nation. Anyone acting against the Constitution must face strict punishment,” she was quoted as saying in Hindustan Times.

Meanwhile, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has suspended Advocate Rakesh Kishore. In an order issued by BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, the council said Kishore’s conduct “is inconsistent with the dignity of the court” and violates the Advocates Act, 1961 and Rules on Professional Conduct and Etiquette.