Introduction
On October 6th 2025, a shocking event took place in the Supreme Court, Court Hall No 1 which was an unprecedented breach of judicial decorum when an Advocate threw an object at the Chief Justice of India. Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, the 52nd Chief Justice of India, was presiding over court proceedings when Advocate Rakesh Kishore approached the dais and hurled an object toward him, shouting slogans related to “Sanatan Dharma”. This came in response to the comment passed by the Chief Justice while hearing a Public Interest Litigation concerning the restoration of a damaged Lord Vishnu idol. This incident marks a serious assault on the judicial independence and the dignity of the Supreme Court. This event received intense backlash from legal bodies leading to the advocate’s removal.
Background
The attack on Chief Justice Gavai was triggered by remarks he made during a hearing related to a damaged Lord Vishnu idol case. This happened as the Petitioner was seeking a replacement of a damaged Hindu Deity statue of Lord Vishnu to which the Chief Justice Gavai had remarked “go and ask the deity Himself to do something” dismissing the plea. This was found to be objectionable by the Advocate and he perceived it as disrespectful to “Sanathan Dharma”. He shouted slogans related to Sanatan Dharma while throwing the object, indicating that the case and the Chief Justice’s observations touched upon sensitive religious issues. Police sources said Advocate Kishore allegedly took out an object and threw it at the CJI at around 11.35 am during proceedings in Court No 1. The incident occurred during the mention of cases when Kishore approached the dais, removed his object, and attempted to throw it towards the bench, narrowly missing the CJI and another judge. According to sources, Advocate Kishore was taken out of the courtroom.
Key Points
The Act of throwing the object: Advocate Rakesh Kishore attempted to throw an object at Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai during Supreme Court proceedings. The object did not directly hit the Chief Justice or his desk, but caused a brief disruption in the courtroom. Security personnel quickly intervened and escorted the lawyer out of the courtroom.
Motivation: The incident was sparked by comments Chief Justice Gavai made during a hearing on a case involving damage to a Lord Vishnu idol. Advocate Kishore was angered by what he perceived as disrespectful comments about Hindu deities and “Sanatan Dharma”. The Advocate later stated he did not regret his actions.
Legal consequences: The Bar Council of India (BCI) stated that there was prima facie evidence showing Kishore had tried to throw his object during the court proceedings, which led to his immediate suspension. Advocate Rakesh Kishore was suspended from practice by the Bar Council of India. He was expelled from the Supreme Court Bar Association for conduct “inconsistent with the dignity of the court”. In addition, an Advocate practising in Bengaluru, registered a Zero FIR against him. Although the Chief Justice had asked for leniency, the lawyer was still briefly detained. The incident drew sharp condemnation from legal bodies such as the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA), and the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa, who called it a direct assault on judicial independence and the Constitution. Police recovered a note from Kishore’s possession containing the slogan “Sanatan dharma ka apmaan nahi sahega Hindustan” (India will not tolerate insults to Sanatan Dharma), and he was questioned for three hours before being released without formal charges.
Recent Developments
Lawyers across Karnataka and Telangana held protests demanding strict punishment for Rakesh Kishore. Legal professionals organized demonstrations to condemn the attack as an assault on judicial dignity and independence. Further, Legal bodies and commentators widely condemned the incident as an “assault on judicial independence”. Some described the incident as a blatant casteist attack on the Supreme Court, pointing to how it exposed the deep link between caste, religion, and judicial authority especially given that Chief Justice Gavai is both the first Buddhist and only the second Dalit to hold the position.
Conclusion
Despite the severity of the breach, Chief Justice Gavai demonstrated remarkable composure and magnanimity by describing it as a “forgotten chapter” and requesting no punitive action against the attacker. The legal fraternity’s unified condemnation affirms that such attacks on constitutional institutions will not be tolerated in a democracy governed by the rule of law.
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WRITTEN BY S. KAVIYA SRI
