In the wake of an advocate's attempt to hurl a shoe at Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai, Punjab Police have registered multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) against more than 100 social media accounts for allegedly posting objectionable content targeting the CJI. The social media posts in question are accused of containing casteist remarks, incitement, and expressions that promote communal disharmony, disturb public order, and erode respect for judicial institutions.
The crackdown follows an incident where a 71-year-old lawyer, Rakesh Kishore, allegedly attempted to throw a shoe at CJI Gavai in the Supreme Court. Kishore was reportedly unhappy with remarks made by the CJI during a hearing last month concerning the restoration of a Vishnu idol in Khajuraho. He has cited "insult to Hinduism" as the trigger for his actions, referring to the CJI's remarks during the case hearing about a Hindu idol. The CJI had reportedly asked the petitioner to “go and ask the deity itself to do something now”. The CJI has since clarified that he did not mean any disrespect, and social media amplified the situation.
The registered FIRs invoke the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989, as well as sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. According to a Punjab Police spokesperson, the social media content flagged includes attacks on high constitutional authorities, caste-based vilification, incitement, and public mischief, with a direct attempt to disturb peace and public order by exploiting caste and communal sentiments. The Cyber Cell wing has been instructed to initiate the process of removing the offensive content from various social media platforms.
The incident and subsequent online attacks have drawn strong reactions from political leaders and activists. Some have described the incident as a "blatant casteist attack on the Supreme Court". There have been calls for action against both the attacker and those engaging in online abuse. An AI-generated video depicting the CJI with a blue face and an earthen pot around his neck, referencing a historical casteist practice against Dalits, has surfaced as a prominent example of the ongoing online abuse.
CJI Gavai is only the second CJI who is a Dalit, and the first from the Buddhist faith. He comes from a family of Ambedkrite thinkers and activists.
While the CJI chose not to press charges against the shoe-thrower, calls for action against Kishore are growing. An activist is seeking the Attorney General's permission to initiate contempt-of-court charges against him.
