NEW DELHI, Oct 6: In a shocking incident, an object resembling a sheaf of papers was flung at a Supreme Court Bench of Chief Justice of India and Justice K. Vinod Chandran on Monday by a person in the courtroom.
The incident occurred while the Bench was in the process of hearing oral mentioning listed before it. The day started as usual, though an hour later than usual court hours at 11.30 a.m. The court had reopened after a week-long holiday, and many urgent cases had been lined up for hearing.
The offending object flew in from the left side of the Bench while the Judges were turned to their right, hearing advocate Shivam Singh mention his case for an urgent listing. The CJI and Justice Chandran made an initial exclamation of surprise, but quickly collected themselves to urge Mr Singh to continue his mentioning.
“Do not pay attention to such things. Please carry on… If we are not perturbed, why are you? Just ignore,” the CJI told the distracted lawyers present in the court room. “I was more rattled than the Judges,” Mr Singh recounted later on.
The individual, identified as advocate Rakesh Kishore, raised slogans about ‘Sanatan’ while being escorted out of the court room by security personnel. The CJI’s recent remarks about a Vishnu idol had attracted controversy. After incessant social media outrage for almost two days thereafter, Chief Justice Gavai had explained in open court that he believed in all faiths and “true secularism”.
“This incident, reportedly stemming from a misguided backlash against the Chief Justice’s judicious observations in the Khajuraho Vishnu Idol Restoration matter, where His Lordship emphasised respect for all religions and clarified his remarks amid social media distortions, cannot be tolerated. It constitutes a direct assault on judicial independence, violates constitutional values of decorum and discipline,” the Supreme Court Bar Association linked the incident with the CJI’s earlier oral remarks.
Meanwhile, the Bar Council of India (BCI) issued an interim suspension order signed by its chairman, senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, against Mr Kishore, who is enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi, under the Advocates Act, 1961 and the Bar Council of India Rules on Standards of Professional Conduct and Etiquette. The BCI order even said Mr Kishore removed his sports shoes and “attempted” to hurl them during court proceedings.
In 2009, a woman had thrown a slipper at Justice Arijit Pasayat (now retired) during the hearing of a contempt case. The object missed the judge, who had ducked in time. The woman was taken into custody. The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) has expressed its deep anguish and disapproval at the act of the advocate.
“Such conduct is unbecoming of a member of the Bar and strikes at the very foundation of mutual respect that sustains the relationship between the Bench and the Bar,” SCAORA said in a statement, and urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognizance and initiate proceedings for proceedings for contempt of court.
(Manas Dasgupta)
