‘Divine force guided me’: What prompted Rakesh Kishore to hurl shoe at India’s Chief Justice?

The Supreme Court of India witnessed an unprecedented scene of chaos on Monday when Rakesh Kishore, a 71-year-old advocate, allegedly hurled a shoe at Chief Justice of India BR Gavai during a hearing.

CJI Gavai was unharmed as the shoe fell short and calmly brushed off the episode, saying, “These things do not affect me,” before proceeding with the case. Security officers quickly restrained Kishore, who continued shouting, “India will not tolerate the insult of Sanatan Dharma,” as he was escorted out of Court No. 1.

The Chief Justice instructed officials to “just ignore” the incident, asking that Kishore be warned and released. But the outburst has since sparked a flurry of outrage across legal and public circles.

So who is the advocate? What action has been taken against him, and most importantly, what drove him to such an extreme act? Here’s a closer look.

Who is Rakesh Kishore?

Rakesh Kishore, the man behind Monday’s courtroom uproar, is a 71-year-old advocate and a registered member of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA). He lives in Delhi’s Mayur Vihar and, according to police sources, enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi in 2009 at the age of 55.

While Kishore holds several bar memberships, including the Shahdara Bar Association, Bar Council of Delhi, and the SCBA, those in the legal fraternity say he has largely remained on the fringes of the profession.

“He has been a temporary member of the Supreme Court Bar Association since 2011 but barely appeared in any cases,” SCBA joint secretary Meenesh Dubey told Hindustan Times. “To become a permanent member, one must appear in 20 cases for two consecutive years. He never met that threshold.”

Born on September 10, 1954, Kishore claims to hold a PhD in medical entomology from Banaras Hindu University and says he once worked as a consultant for the World Health Organization, before shifting careers to law.

In his neighbourhood, Kishore is known for his controversial stint as the president of his housing society. Residents told The Indian Express that he has held the position for six years and that no fresh elections have been conducted since. They also alleged that several complaints were filed against him, including one over the assault of a senior citizen in 2021.

However, Delhi Police confirmed that he has no prior criminal record.

After the shoe-throwing incident, Kishore was detained by security personnel and questioned for nearly three hours. The Supreme Court’s registrar general ultimately decided not to press charges, and police released him soon after.

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Bar Council suspends Kishore

Soon after the shocking courtroom incident, the Bar Council of India (BCI) moved swiftly to take disciplinary action against the advocate. On Monday, the council announced his immediate suspension from practising law.

In a letter addressed to Kishore and the Bar Council of Delhi, BCI Chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra said that the advocate’s behaviour was “inconsistent with the Rules on Standards of Professional Conduct and Etiquette” and had undermined the dignity of the Supreme Court.

“It appears that at about 11.35 a.m. on 6 October 2025, in Court No. 1 of the Supreme Court of India, you i.e. Advocate Rakesh Kishore, enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi vide enrolment no. D/1647/2009, removed your sports shoes and attempted to hurl them towards the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India during ongoing proceedings, whereupon you were detained by security… In view of the foregoing, you i.e. Advocate Rakesh Kishore is suspended from practice with immediate effect,” the order read.

As per the interim suspension, Kishore is barred from appearing, acting, pleading, or practising in any court, tribunal, or authority across India. The council also announced that a show-cause notice would be issued, giving him 15 days to explain why the suspension should not be made permanent and why further disciplinary action should not be taken.

PM Modi reacts

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also strongly condemned the act, describing it as “utterly condemnable” while also praising CJI’s composure.

“Spoke to Chief Justice of India, Justice BR Gavai Ji. The attack on him earlier today in the Supreme Court premises has angered every Indian. There is no place for such reprehensible acts in our society. It is utterly condemnable. I appreciated the calm displayed by Justice Gavai in the face of such a situation. It highlights his commitment to values of justice and strengthening the spirit of our Constitution,” the PM wrote on X.

What angered Kishore against the CJI?

On 16 September, the Supreme Court was hearing a petition seeking directions to reconstruct or rejuvenate a seven-foot Lord Vishnu idol at the Javari Temple, part of the Khajuraho group of monuments in Madhya Pradesh and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The bench, led by Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice Vinod Chandran, dismissed the plea, calling it a “purely public interest litigation”.

During the hearing, CJI Gavai reportedly told petitioner Rakesh Dalal, “Go and ask the deity himself to do something. If you are saying that you are a strong devotee of Lord Vishnu, then you pray and do some meditation.”

The remark, meant as a legal clarification that the court couldn’t intervene in matters concerning protected monuments, didn’t sit well with some. The Chief Justice later clarified that his words had been taken out of context.

“We said it is within the monuments controlled by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and how can we pass orders,” he explained. He added that the case came up when he was still reflecting on the waqf case, which involved a related ASI report and the Waqf (Amendment) Act of 2025.

However, for Kishore, the comment struck a deep chord. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Kishore said the remark had impacted him.

“I couldn’t sleep after that judgment,” he said. “The almighty was asking me every night how I could rest after such an insult.” He claimed his outrage grew after reading about the CJI’s speech in Mauritius, where Gavai said, “India’s legal system operates under the rule of law, not under the rule of bulldozer.”

No remorse, did the right thing: Kishore

Even after the shocking incident, Kishore expressed no regret.

SCBA joint secretary Meenesh Dubey, who met him after the episode, said the advocate “felt no guilt” despite being told his act was indefensible. “He said he was right and refused to apologise.”

Kishore, however, maintained he was “ready to face jail” and denied any political affiliation. “It would have been better if I was in jail. My family is very unhappy with what I did. They are unable to understand,” he told Hindustan Times.

His family, embarrassed by the incident, refused to comment publicly. Kishore admitted that his relatives were “deeply upset”, but insisted he had acted out of conviction, not impulse.

With input from agencies

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