In a dramatic turn following last week’s courtroom chaos, where Advocate Rakesh Kishore allegedly attempted to hurl a shoe at Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, a new development has surfaced—Attorney General R Venkataramani has granted permission to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against the advocate.

The update came before a bench led by Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, as Senior Advocate Vikas Singh, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta jointly mentioned the issue, pressing for its early listing. “I have taken the consent of the Attorney General and seeking a listing tomorrow,” Singh stated, while the Solicitor General added, “Learned AG has given consent, I would also join my learned friend and request your lordship to take up the contempt. It is constitutional integrity which is under question.”

However, the bench appeared cautious about pursuing the matter immediately. Justice Kant observed that since “Hon’ble CJI has been magnanimous...that shows the institution is not affected by these kinds of incidents,” the court might not need to escalate the issue further.

Justice Bagchi too expressed hesitation, querying whether reviving the incident would only aid “publicity seekers” and cautioned that indulging such matters could divert the Court from more pressing cases. “The moment you take any action now it will become episode No.2,” he remarked, echoing concerns about unnecessary amplification of the event.

Nonetheless, Vikas Singh stood firm, stressing that Kishore had not shown any remorse and was, in fact, glorifying his actions. Justice Bagchi pointed out that extending the controversy could also hand social media platforms another opportunity to monetize sensational content.

In response, Singh explained that his intervention represented “the angst of the Bar,” recalling Justice Ujjal Bhuyan’s earlier remark that the episode was “an affront to the institution.”

After hearing both sides, the bench decided that the matter would be listed once the Supreme Court resumes functioning after the Diwali break.