The Supreme Court has sought responses from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and others over a plea alleging that a pregnant journalist was pushed during an opposition march to the court premises on October 12. The application seeks registration of an FIR against those allegedly involved and compensation for the journalist. The development brings a separate legal dimension to the political confrontation surrounding opposition protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a response from Rahul Gandhi and other respondents to an application alleging that a pregnant journalist was pushed during an opposition march on the court premises earlier this month. The plea requests the registration of a first information report (FIR) against Gandhi and others allegedly involved in the incident, besides compensation for the journalist.
The matter was mentioned before a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. Senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia brought the application to the bench's attention, stating that a woman journalist had allegedly been manhandled within the Supreme Court premises. The court has sought responses from the respondents; the allegations have not yet been judicially established.
According to the application, the journalist was allegedly pushed towards a gate with sufficient force to make her lose her balance and fall, using her hands to break the fall. The plea claims that the incident occurred in a crowded area where security personnel, journalists and other individuals were present.
The applicant has argued that the alleged act was deliberate rather than an accidental consequence of crowd movement. It further claims that the journalist had asked those involved to stop the conduct. On this basis, the plea seeks legal action against Gandhi and all others allegedly responsible, along with financial compensation for the journalist.
These assertions are part of the applicant's account and must be distinguished from facts established through judicial proceedings. The Supreme Court's decision to seek a response provides an opportunity for the respondents to present their position before the matter proceeds further.
Bhatia had raised the allegation before the Supreme Court on October 16 as well. During that mention, he claimed that the journalist was three months pregnant and had been hospitalised following the alleged incident. He urged the court to take cognisance of the matter.
The latest proceedings bring the application into consideration, with the bench seeking responses from Gandhi and the other respondents. Whether the allegations warrant the specific relief requested will depend on the proceedings and the material placed before the court.
The alleged incident took place on October 12, when Gandhi and several opposition leaders, accompanied by supporters, reached the Supreme Court in connection with a challenge concerning alleged irregularities and large-scale voter deletions during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
The march formed part of a wider opposition campaign against the Election Commission's handling of the revision exercise. Opposition parties had demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging irregularities in the electoral roll process. These claims have been contested politically, with the underlying dispute forming a separate legal issue from the allegation involving the journalist.
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