An elderly man hurled a shoe at Chief Justice of India BR Gavai in the Supreme Court this morning, though the shoe did not reach the bench. The man was immediately taken into custody, NDTV reported.
Eyewitnesses said the incident occurred as the Chief Justice began hearing the first matter of the day. The man reportedly raised slogans saying, “India won’t tolerate Sanatan’s insult” before throwing the shoe. Security personnel acted swiftly to restrain him.
The suspect, identified through a proximity card as Kishore Rakesh, had access to the court, normally issued to lawyers and clerks. His motive remains unclear, and he is being questioned by security agencies. According to reports, Chief Justice Gavai requested that no action be taken against the man and continued with the day’s hearing.
“I am the last person to be affected by such things,” the Chief Justice told the courtroom, remaining calm throughout.
Senior jurist Indira Jaising condemned the attack, calling for a thorough investigation. She described it as a blatant casteist attack on the Supreme Court and urged all judges to issue a united statement affirming that ideological attacks will not be tolerated.
The incident comes after the Chief Justice faced criticism over remarks made on a public interest litigation concerning a beheaded idol of Lord Vishnu in Khajuraho. He had reportedly said, “Go and ask the deity himself to do something,” which drew backlash on social media. The Chief Justice later clarified that he respects all religions.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and senior advocate Kapil Sibal, both present in court, noted that social media reactions to judicial comments are often exaggerated. Mehta said, “Every action has a disproportionate social media reaction,” while Sibal compared social media to “an unruly horse with no way to tame it.”
