NEW DELHI: Days after an advocate hurled a shoe at Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, Punjab Police on Wednesday registered several FIRs over objectionable social media post targeting Gavai.According to Punjab Police, the FIRs were registered after several complaints were received in various districts of the state against more than 100 social media handles.
A Punjab Police spokesperson said social media content relating to attacks on high constitutional authority, caste-based vilification and incitement, public mischief with a direct attempt to disturb. peace and public order by unjustly exploiting caste and communal sentiments has been flagged and FIRs have been registered in accordance with the law.The posts and videos in question contain casteist and hate-filled expressions intended to promote communal disharmony, disturb public order and erode respect for judicial institutions, said the spokesperson.“The contents of the social media posts included posts intended to provoke violence and erode respect for constitutional position, intentional intimidation and insult to a member of a Scheduled Caste (SC), attempts to promote enmity, hatred and ill-will against a member of SC category, promotion of enmity between groups on grounds of caste and intentional insult with the intent to provoke breach of peace and statements conducting to public mischief,” the spokesperson said.“Further investigations in these FIRs are being conducted in accordance with the law,” the spokesperson added.The contents of the social media posts included posts intended to provoke violence and erode respect for constitutional position, intentional intimidation and insult to a member of a Scheduled Caste (SC), attempts to promote enmity, hatred and ill-will against a member of SC category, promotion of enmity between groups on grounds of caste and intentional insult with the intent to provoke breach of peace and statements leading to public mischief, said the spokesperson.On Monday, a 71-year-old advocate Rakesh Kishore allegedly attempted to hurl a shoe towards CJI Gavai during a hearing in Supreme Court. According to police sources, the errant lawyer was unhappy over the CJI’s remarks during a hearing last month concerning the restoration of a Vishnu idol in Khajuraho.In September, a bench headed by the CJI had dismissed the plea seeking directions to reconstruct and reinstall a seven-foot idol of Lord Vishnu at the Javari temple, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Khajuraho temple. complex in Madhya Pradesh.Terming the plea a “publicity interest litigation”, the CJI had said, “This is purely publicity interest litigation…. Go and ask the deity himself to do something. If you are saying that you are a strong devotee of Lord Vishnu, then you pray and do some meditation.”
