Tamil Nadu magistrate targeted in ‘sandal attack’ days after Supreme Court shoe incident

In a second surprising courtroom outburst within days, a man accused of theft hurled his sandals at a judicial magistrate in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district.

The incident happened on Tuesday, October 7, reported News18. It mirrors a recent disruption in the Supreme Court where a lawyer tried to throw a shoe at Chief Justice BR Gavai on Monday, Oct 6.

Identified as Dharmendra Singh, the accused hails from Uttar Pradesh and has been employed as a daily wage labourer in the Cheranmahadevi area.

He was arrested a few months ago for allegedly stealing a temple donation box, as per News18. His case was being heard before Judicial Magistrate Arun Kumaran at the Cheranmahadevi court.

During the hearing, Singh appeared without a lawyer. Observing this, Magistrate Kumaran instructed the court authorities to provide him with a legal aid counsel and directed that the case be expedited. The hearing was subsequently deferred to the following month.

However, Singh repotted became agitated over the postponement. In an unexpected act, he removed his sandals and flung them towards the magistrate in quick succession, according to the eyewitnesses. Security personnel swiftly intervened and escorted him out of the courtroom.

Read more: CJI Gavai attack: Supreme Court lawyer seeks contempt proceedings against Rakesh Kishore

Judge refuses to file complaint

The incident caused commotion inside the court premises. While the Cheranmahadevi police have initiated a detailed inquiry, Magistrate Kumaran declined to file a separate case, as per News18.

The magistrate described Singh’s act as stemming from ignorance rather than malice. The accused was later taken back to prison under tight security.

The authorities are also probing whether he may have psychological issues or communication barriers that led to his misunderstanding.

The Supreme Court ‘shoe’ incident 

On Oct 6, 71-year-old Advocate Rakesh Kishore allegedly attempted to throw a shoe at CJI BR Gavai during court proceedings in the Supreme Court.

He shouted, “Sanatan ka apmaan nahi sahenge (Will not tolerate the insult to Sanatan Dharma),” while being escorted out of the court by the security personnel.

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