Shoe attack on CJI sparks fury

India Today

A lawyer's shocking act of hurling a shoe at India's Chief Justice B. R. Gavai in the Supreme Court ignites a nationwide debate on caste, religion, and judicial respect.

Transcript

00:00India watched in disbelief as a lawyer hurled a shoe at the Chief Justice of India inside the

00:10Supreme Court. And what followed was a fiery national debate. At the center, a volatile

00:16mix of caste, religion and claims of insult to Sanatandhar. The man behind the attack,

00:23Advocate Kishore, said he was protesting the Chief Justice's alleged remarks. Remarks that

00:28were widely misreported. But here's the twist. Despite the shocking attack, the Chief Justice

00:42B.R. Gavai said, let it go. He refused to file a case. But that was not the end of it. Bar bodies

00:49across the country have stepped in. And now, serious legal and professional consequences

00:54are unfolding. Not just for the attacker, but for all those who are spreading caste-based

01:00hate online. Let's break this down. Under the Advocates Act 1961, lawyers in India are regulated

01:07by the Bar Council of India, which is a body of lawyers run by lawyers at both the state

01:12and national levels. They also set strict rules on how lawyers must behave inside and outside

01:19of court. One of the core rules being a lawyer must maintain dignity, self-respect and respect

01:26towards the courts. So when the Chief Justice of India was attacked in the courtroom, the

01:31Bar Council of India took swift action. The attacker's license has been suspended and he

01:36has been barred from practicing law anywhere in India. A show cause notice has also been issued

01:42asking him why he should not be permanently disbarred. That means no court appearances,

01:49no client advice, no legal drafting ever again. At the same time, the Supreme Court Bar Association

01:56has terminated his membership. His proximity card, which is the pass that lets lawyers enter

02:01court premises, has been revoked. The message is clear. Attacking the judiciary, especially the

02:08Chief Justice, will not be taken lightly. Outside the legal community, criminal cases are also piling

02:13up. A zero FIR has been registered in Bengaluru under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sahita, under sections 132,

02:21which is assault on a public servant and 133, which is assault with intent to dishonor. Both carry up

02:28to two years in jail. And in Delhi, more complaints are being filed. The Bengaluru complaint was filed by

02:34the All India Advocates Association, which is also pushing for strict action. Meanwhile, the police

02:40in other states have also stepped in on another front. The online hate. FIRs are being filed under

02:47the SCST Prevention of Atrocity Act for intentional insult or humiliation of a scheduled caste person in

02:55public, abusing someone by their caste and promoting hatred against scheduled caste communities. Additional

03:02charges under the new BNS are also being laid. Section 196, which is promoting enmity between

03:09groups on basis of caste, creed, religion or language. Section 353, which is publishing false

03:16or hateful content. And conspiracy, which means that sharing or commenting on these posts can also land

03:23people in legal trouble. Remember, India's legal system leaves plenty of room for debate and

03:29disagreement. But when it crosses into hate, abuse or violence, the law does step in, even if

03:36the victim, even if it is the CGI himself chooses to forgive.

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