In a unified display of condemnation, members of the Gulbarga Bar Association, encompassing both district and High Court units, gathered in Kalaburagi on Wednesday. Their primary demand was for immediate and stern action against advocate Rakesh Kishore, who is alleged to have attempted to throw a shoe at Chief Justice B.R. Gavai during Supreme Court proceedings earlier this week.
Advocates from various courts, symbolizing their solidarity and outrage, wore red ribbons on their arms. They staged a peaceful yet impactful demonstration outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office, which concluded with the submission of a formal memorandum addressed to the President of India.
S.V. Pasar, the district president of the Bar Association, described the incident as an “unprecedented and shameful” act. He stressed that such behavior fundamentally breaches the dignity of the judiciary and the rule of law itself. Pasar emphasized that the Chief Justice of India represents a revered institution—arguably the world’s largest judiciary—and any disrespect shown to him constitutes an affront to the entire judicial system.
The protesting lawyers voiced their deep concern, asserting that the incident has brought disrepute to the legal fraternity and significantly undermined the sanctity of the judiciary. They strongly advocated for decisive action against the accused lawyer to ensure that such disturbing incidents are not repeated in the future.
Beyond immediate disciplinary measures, the Bar Association members formally urged the President to initiate criminal proceedings against Rakesh Kishore. This includes charges for attempting to assault the Chief Justice of India and for disrupting court proceedings. Furthermore, they called for a comprehensive investigation into the matter to determine if there were any broader conspiracies or underlying motivations behind Rakesh Kishore’s actions.
Prominent figures from the Bar Association who were present at the demonstration included vice-president Bheemashankar Pujari, general secretary Siddaram B. Wadi, vice-president (women’s wing) Arati Rathod, and from the High Court unit, vice-president Ananth Jahagirdar, general secretary Gourish Khashampur, and joint secretary Rekha Patil, among many other dedicated advocates.