NEW DELHI: CJI BR Gavai Thursday said he and Justice K Vinod Chandran were “very shocked” when a lawyer attempted to hurl a shoe at him on Oct 6, but the issue is a “forgotten chapter”.In an act that elicited all-around condemnation, a 71-year-old lawyer, Rakesh Kishore, tried to hurl his shoe at the CJI in court on Monday.The CJI made the observation while hearing pleas seeking review the Vanashakti judgment, which prohibited central govt from granting retrospective or ex post facto environmental clearances to projects. found violating environmental norms.Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, who was sharing the bench, differed with the action being taken against the errant lawyer. “I have my own views on this, he is the CJI, it is not a matter of joke,” he said, adding that the attack was “an affront to the Supreme Court” and due action should have been taken.Katju: CJI invited shoe-throwing by making unwarranted remarksSolicitor general Tushar Mehta termed the act unpardonable while hailing the CJI for magnanimity and “majesty.”Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju said that CJI BR Gavai had invited the show-throwing incident by making unwarranted remarks. Justice Katju was referring to the CJI’s purported remarks about Lord Vishnu as “inappropriate, and unnecessary” and observed on homilies and lectures”.“I condemn the throwing of a shoe on CJI Gavai. But he invited this when while hearing a petition praying for restoration of a statue of Lord Vishnu in Khajuraho he commented ‘You say you are a staunch devotee of Vishnu. Go and ask the deity itself to do something. Go and pray’. Such remarks were totally unwarranted, inappropriate and unnecessary, having no bearing on the legal issues involved in the case,” the outspoken former judge said.The CJI had claimed that his purported comments on Lord Vishnu had been quoted out of context.Justice Katju further observed that such comments are never made against the minority community.
