Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice B.R. Gavai has spoken out for the first time regarding the shoe-throwing incident involving lawyer Rakesh Kishor inside the Supreme Court earlier this month. Describing the episode as a “forgotten chapter,” CJI Gavai said he was shocked by the incident. “Both my brother judge and I were shocked by what occurred on Monday. For us, it is now a forgotten chapter,” he remarked.
The incident took place on October 6 in Court Hall No. 1, when 71-year-old lawyer Rakesh Kishor, in a fit of anger, threw his shoe at the CJI. The projectile did not reach the bench, and other lawyers quickly restrained him before handing him over to court staff. Justice Gavai continued court proceedings despite the disruption. Police investigations revealed that Kishor was protesting against alleged derogatory remarks made by the CJI about Lord Vishnu and claimed that he could not tolerate the perceived insult to Sanatana Dharma. He was released after a three-hour interrogation.
In response, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) expelled Kishor and officially canceled his court entry card, barring him from entering Supreme Court premises in the future. The Bar had initially suspended him and directed him to submit an explanation within 15 days, but later announced his expulsion. Kishor defended his actions as “divine will” while criticizing the Bar Association for suspending him without hearing his side. A separate case has also been filed against him in Bengaluru, with the All India Advocates Association alleging that the attack on the CJI was deliberate.