SRINAGAR: Attorney General R Venkataramani has granted consent to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against advocate Rakesh Kishore, who attempted to hurl a shoe at Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai inside the Supreme Court earlier this month, multiple legal news outlets reported on Thursday.
The decision, conveyed to a Bench led by Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, followed requests from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Vikas Singh, both of whom urged immediate listing of the contempt case. “Social media has gone berserk,” Singh told the court, warning that online commentary on the 6 October incident was “demeaning the institutional integrity of the Supreme Court”.
During the hearing, the Bench observed that the fundamental right to free speech “is not absolute” and cannot come at the cost of institutional dignity. It acknowledged the adverse impact of “unregulated social media” and remarked that the judiciary, too, had become both “a product and consumer” of such spaces.
The justices, however, appeared reluctant to expedite the contempt listing, hinting that “the matter should die a natural death,” noting the CJI’s own decision to show restraint and magnanimity immediately after the incident. During the 6 October hearing, when the 71-year-old lawyer attempted the act shouting slogans related to religion, Chief Justice Gavai had calmly instructed court officials to let the man go, saying, “Do not get disturbed. These things do not affect me”.
Following the altercation, the Bar Council of India suspended Kishore’s licence to practise law nationwide pending further inquiry, barring him from appearing before any court or tribunal. The council also directed the Bar Council of Delhi to implement the suspension and issue a show-cause notice within fifteen days.
The Supreme Court Bar Association’s executive committee condemned the incident and revoked earlier resolutions concerning the advocate. The SCBA, supported by Solicitor General Mehta, argued that the act was “a serious assault on constitutional dignity,” warranting strict legal consequences.
The Attorney General’s nod now allows formal criminal contempt proceedings to be filed before the Supreme Court under Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act. The case, legal experts said, will test the court’s approach to public dissent expressed through physical or symbolic acts inside its premises and may redefine judicial boundaries for courtroom decorum.
