A 71-year-old Supreme Court lawyer, identified as Rakesh Kishore, was detained on Monday after attempting to throw a shoe at Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai in the Supreme Court. Kishore was quickly intercepted by the CJI’s Z-plus security team and handed over to the Supreme Court’s security unit.

CJI Gavai addressed the incident calmly, urging proceedings to continue: “Don’t get distracted by all this. We are not distracted. These things do not affect me.”

Who is Rakesh Kishore?

Rakesh Kishore is a resident of Mayur Vihar and a registered member of the Supreme Court Bar Association. As he was led away, he reportedly shouted, “Sanatan ka apman nahi sahenge” (“Insulting the Sanatan Dharma won’t be tolerated”). Senior Advocate Indira Jaisingh described the act as “an attack on the institution as a whole” and called for a legal response from the Supreme Court.

Reason Behind the Incident

Preliminary investigations suggest that Kishore’s actions were triggered by remarks made by CJI Gavai during a recent plea regarding the restoration of a seven-foot-tall Lord Vishnu idol at the Khajuraho Temple complex in Madhya Pradesh. The CJI had reportedly said, “Go and ask the deity itself to do something now. You say you are a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu. So go and pray now. It’s an archaeological site and ASI needs to give permission.”

These comments had sparked widespread social media backlash over perceived disrespect toward religious sentiments.

CJI Gavai later clarified in open court that he respects all religions and that his remarks were not intended to offend anyone, adding that social media had exaggerated the issue. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta echoed this view, noting that “every action has disproportionate social media reaction” in today’s digital age.