New Delhi: For 72-year-old Supreme Court lawyer Rakesh Kishore, his faith matters so much that he admittedly lost his “sleep” when Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai refused to entertain a plea to restore an idol of Lord Vishnu in Khajuraho and made certain remarks to the petitioner.
“He not only refused to accept the prayer, but made fun of the Lord Vishnu. Instead of apologising, he later justified his statement,” Kishore told ThePrint, hours after he “hurled a shoe” at the CJI during court proceedings Monday morning.
Kishore’s act led to shock and outrage in the legal fraternity, with many Bar bodies condemning it and the Bar Council of India (BCI) promptly ordering disciplinary action against him.
The incident disturbed the proceedings of courtroom number one where CJI Gavai’s bench had assembled after a week-long Dussehra break.
ThePrint reached CJI Gavai for comment via text but had not received a response by the time of publication. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
Kishore, who registered himself with the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in 2009, holds a Ph.D in medical entomology from the Banaras Hindu University (BHU). His last assignment was with the World Health Organization where he worked on some projects.
“I have not been able to sleep since September 16 when CJI Gavai made the remarks,” he said.
Kishore was referring to the hearing before the CJI Gavai-led bench in which he had refused to direct restoration of a seven-foot beheaded idol of Lord Vishnu at Khajuraho.
CJI Gavai had reportedly said, “Go and ask the deity itself to do something now. You say you are a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu. So go and pray now. It’s an archaeological site and ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) needs to give permission, etc.”
The CJI’s comments sparked a controversy on social media with many right-wing handles criticising him for his observations. The CJI later apologised and clarified that he never meant to disrespect any religion.
Kishore claimed the judiciary has taken a divergent stand when it comes to dealing with similar cases related to mosques.
“He (CJI Gavai) not only made fun of Lord Vishnu, but did injustice by dismissing the petition,” Kishore said, referring to the September 16 hearing.
Kishore said he got infuriated further after reading about the CJI’s statement on bulldozer justice during his last week’s trip to Mauritius. CJI Gavai had criticised the executive’s action to punish offending citizens by rendering them homeless, and spoke about his judgement where he has given elaborate guidelines before undertaking a demolition exercise to pull down an alleged unauthorised residential premises.
Apprehensive that the CJI might intervene in the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in Bareilly, Kishore’s native place, the lawyer decided to take the extreme step of breaching the discipline inside a courtroom.
“I am from Bareilly. I know how unauthorised construction has come up in that area and who is behind them. If the Yogi government is taking action, nobody should intervene,” he said.
Kishore is unperturbed about losing his registration. “I am already suffering from many health issues. I don’t mind if they cancel it (the registration),” he added.
He said he was unfazed even when the police whisked him away from the court to their office. “When they came to take me, I told them I will walk myself. They checked my phone, took note of all the call details and left me. I was fully prepared to go to jail too.”
Asked if he regretted his actions, Kishore replied in the negative. He did, however, express concern that his family did not support him and reacted in the same manner as most others.
He was let go after brief detention, sources in the Delhi Police told ThePrint, adding no complaint was received from the Registrar General of the apex court to initiate criminal proceedings.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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