Attack on CJI: Karnataka Police file FIR against accused lawyer

Bengaluru, Oct 8 (IANS) The Karnataka Police have filed an FIR against advocate Rakesh Kishore on Wednesday for his act of trying to throw a shoe at Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai in the Supreme Court. The FIR has been registered following the complaint in this regard by the President of the All India Advocates' Association Bhaktavachala.

The Vidhana Soudha police in Bengaluru have filed the Zero FIR against 71-year-old Rakesh Kishore under Sections 132 , 133 of the Bharatiya Nayaya Sanhita (BNS) for charges of assault or using of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging of his duties and use of criminal force with an intent of dishonouring a person.

Zero FIR is an FIR that can be filed in any police station, regardless of the place where the crime is committed or the jurisdiction of the police station. The police sources stated that the case would be transferred to the jurisdictional police in New Delhi.

The FIR states, On October 6, advocate Rakesh Kishore committed an offence by hurling a shoe towards the dais in Court Hall No. 1 of the Supreme Court of India, New Delhi.

At the time, Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran were present in the courtroom. The complainant has requested that a case be registered against the accused to safeguard the dignity and integrity of the judiciary.

Condemning the attack on Supreme Court Chief Justice B.R. Gavai, lawyers staged a silent protest before the State High Court. They demanded the immediate arrest of the lawyer Rakesh Kishore, who carried out the attack. The protesters said this was a major affront aimed at weakening the independence of the judiciary and insisted that a full investigation into the matter must be conducted.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has written a letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking judicial inquiry and immediate action on the blatant casteist attack made in the name of ‘Sanatan’ against the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India.

Reacting to the incident of a lawyer throwing a shoe at the Chief Justice of India in the Supreme Court, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge expressed his disapproval, stating that it is highly condemnable act and it is not acceptable to throw a slipper at judges in the name of religion.

--IANS

mka/pgh