Courtroom Decorum Breached: AG Approves Contempt Proceedings Against Rakesh Kishore
(By Syed Ali Taher Abedi)
Delhi,17, October,2025-Attorney General for India R. Venkataramani has accorded his consent to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against advocate Rakesh Kishore, who allegedly attempted to hurl a shoe at Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai on October 6. The development was revealed before the Supreme Court on Thursday by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, when Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Vikas Singh mentioned the matter before the bench headed by Justice Surya Kant.
As per Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, which governs the procedure for initiating proceedings for criminal contempt before the Hon’ble Supreme Court, the consent of the Attorney General for India is a mandatory prerequisite when such proceedings are sought to be initiated by a private individual or party.
In essence, this statutory requirement serves as a procedural safeguard to prevent frivolous, vindictive, or ill-conceived petitions from being filed under the guise of protecting the authority of the Court. The law stipulates that while the Supreme Court has the inherent power to take suo motu cognizance of acts amounting to criminal contempt, no private person can directly move the Court in such matters without first obtaining the written consent of the Attorney General for India.
This consent mechanism ensures that only cases involving genuine and serious interference with the administration of justice are brought before the apex court, thereby preserving both the sanctity of the judicial process and the dignity of the institution.
In this matter, the proactive and courageous initiative of SCBA President Mr. Vikas Singh in writing to the Attorney General and seeking consent to proceed against the concerned lawyer has played a pivotal role.
Singh has now urged the court to list a criminal contempt of the court case immediately against the Lawyer.
“This shoe-throwing incident cannot go unnoticed like this. This person (The Lawyer who threw the shoe) has no remorse have sought the consent from the Attorney General and the Criminal contempt (case could be) listed against him. Social media goes berserk Said Singh.
Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta concurred that the incident was of a serious nature and informed the Court that the Attorney General had granted consent for initiating proceedings.
