Shoe Throwing Bid At CJI An Instance Of Caste Related Issue Which Is Gaining Prominence In Country: Madhya Pradesh High Court

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has observed that the incident of the shoe being thrown at the Chief Justice of India and the suicide committed by a Senior Additional Director General of Police in Haryana are instances of caste related issues gaining prominence in this country.

The observations are contained in an order passed while taking suo-motu cognizance of a video uploaded on YouTube showing a young man of the OBC Community forced to wash the feet of a man and consume that water inside a temple.

The incident related to an alleged act against a member of the OBC community by members of the general community, which took place at GramSatariya somewhere around 10th or 11th of October, 2025.

The Division Bench of Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Pradeep Mittal observed, "....this Court feels that before xrewqhis evil symphony of caste acrimony and discrimination reaches its crescendo, the police and the administration of Damoh is directed to forthwith proceed against all those persons under the NSA (in addition to the FIR), who are visible in the video and whose identity can be ascertained, who were there in the temple surrounding the victim and compelling him to do the act...."

"The incident of the shoe being thrown at the Chief Justice of India, the suicide committed by a Senior Additional Director General of Police in Haryana, are instances of such caste related issues gaining prominence in this country", the Court observed.

The Victim in the case allegedly used artificial intelligence and created a meme showing one person, upon whom a self-prohibition was imposed, with a garland of footwear around his neck. Upon objections by members of the general community, the victim deleted the meme. There was a Panchayat gathering, which decided on its own that the victim must atone for his act of indiscretion. For that, he was called to the temple of the village and gheraoed by a large mob and compelled to wash the feet of the said person and consume that water.

One of them was heard telling the victim that he must state that he shall serve the upper caste community. YouTube news channels also showed that the victim had appeared in a video where he says that he has stated that certain interested parties are trying to make a mountain out of a molehill and that the person whose feet he washed, is his Guru from a long time.

The Court, at the outset, observed that video prima facie clearly reflects from the eye movements of the victim that he was reading out something placed in front of him.

"....In these couple of days, the Police at Damoh has registered in an FIR against the accused persons under section 296 (this Court is unable to understand as to how section 296 would be applicable) and 196 (1)(b) for which the maximum punishment is three years. However, this Court is of the opinion as the entire incident took place in the premises of the temple section 196(2) would also apply", the Court observed.

It stated that as the environment within the temple clearly shows that though there were no vocal threats meted out to the victim, the environment was such that he was surrounded by several people and he had no option but to state and do as he was directed by the mob. 

The Court noted that by necessary implication, prima facie, an offence under Section 351 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita is evident and the Police was directed to add Sections 351 and 133 of the BNS to the FIR.

"The repeated instances of caste-related violence and discriminative actions in the State of Madhya Pradesh is shocking. This is the same State, where a person of the general category urinated on the head of a tribal person and to placate whom, the then Chief Minister washed the feet of the victim. Caste identities are on the rise. Every community, frequently and shamelessly flaunts its caste identity to the detriment of the entire Hindu Society. Each caste has become vociferous and ultra conscious of its caste identity and leaves no measure unturned to demonstrate his/her pride of belonging to a particular caste. This is giving rise to several instances of caste violence. The victims in most cases are the least literate and most impoverished economically...", the Court observed.

"If one is unfortunate to follow social media or reads the newspaper, the Hindu is conspicuous by his absence. Persons refer to themselves as Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, each asserting their independent identity. At this stage, if things are unchecked, within a century and half, the people, who call themselves Hindus, will cease to have exist, fighting amongst themselves", the Court observed.

Noting that the Court would not usually have directed the Police to proceed against the Accused Persons under the National Security Act as that’s a matter of executive discretion, it pointed out that the delay in acting in that direction and the resentment that is being caused within the people of the community from which the victim hails, if action is not taken urgently and immediately, situations may lead to violence where police action thereafter would become ineffective with public order being disturbed.  

Cause Title: Court On Its Own Motion v. Director General of Police

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