The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to list a petition seeking contempt action against Delhi-based lawyer Rakesh Kishore, who had attempted to hurl a shoe at the Chief Justice of India during court proceedings on October 6. The bench cautioned that reopening the matter could fuel unnecessary attention and turn into another “episode” that social media would exploit for monetisation in the coming days.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi heard the request for urgent listing made by senior advocate and Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Vikas Singh. Singh argued that the lawyer had shown no remorse for his conduct and had even justified his actions. He also pointed out that certain social media users had glorified the act, calling it “too late to have been done.”
However, the court firmly declined the request, observing that the Chief Justice himself had decided to close the chapter, choosing restraint over reaction. “Taking any action in this matter may open another episode,” the bench said, adding that social media may further monetise the incident by discussing it for days and weeks to come.
The Attorney General had already given consent to initiate contempt proceedings against the lawyer under the Contempt of Courts Act, but the bench made it clear that institutional maturity demanded silence, not sensationalism. “The CJI has been magnanimous, showing that the institution is not affected by such acts,” the bench remarked.
During the hearing, Vikas Singh invoked religious sentiment, stating, “Lord Vishnu will not say that you indulge in violence like this; it is an insult to the God whom he sought to pay respect to.” The bench agreed, remarking that violence can never be promoted and that such incidents only damage public respect for the legal profession.
The judges expressed concern about the rise of social media monetisation, noting that online platforms thrive on outrage and division. “In social media, everything becomes a saleable item,” the bench said. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta also warned that social media algorithms work on hate and anger, saying, “This makes us addicted… we are in fact the products, not the users.”
The court rejected suggestions for a John Doe order to prevent glorification of the incident online, explaining that such action would only give it more traction. “The moment you take any action, it becomes episode number two,” the bench said, adding that it would be unwise to waste judicial time on an incident that had already been closed by the Chief Justice himself.
“It is our behaviour and how we handle ourselves that we garner respect,” the bench noted. “The CJI has brushed it aside as an act of an irresponsible citizen. Spending even five minutes on this could mean losing time for cases where people are in jail or seeking bail.”
The judges emphasised that the best way forward was to let the matter die a natural death, instead of turning it into a “money-spinning venture.” “Your mentioning today will only be monetised,” the court said. “We do not have to cooperate in this monetisation.”
The bench concluded by saying that after the court vacation, social media will find other saleable stories to discuss, and there was no need to keep this one alive.
The 71-year-old Kishore, who claimed to be deeply hurt by the Chief Justice’s remarks in the Lord Vishnu idol case, had been suspended by an interim order of the Bar Council of India and barred from practising in any court in the country. Following the incident, the Chief Justice said he was “shocked” but described it as “a forgotten chapter,” choosing forgiveness over confrontation.
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