Supreme Court Seeks Rahul Gandhi's Response Over Alleged Push To Pregnant Journalist

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a response from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and others on an application seeking legal action over allegations that a pregnant journalist was pushed during an opposition march to the court on October 12.  The request asks for the filing of a formal complaint against Gandhi and others suspected in the incident, along with 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 told the bench about an application, saying that a female journalist was reportedly harassed on the Supreme Court grounds. 

The accusations are included in the application and have not yet been proven by the court.   

What Does the Plea Claim Happened On October 12?

The application alleges that the journalist was pushed towards a gate with significant force, resulting in her being knocked down.  She is said to have broken her fall by using her hands.  According to the plea, the occurrence took place in a crowded area with security guards, reporters, and other individuals present. 

The application asserts that the action was not an accidental result of the crowd pushing against each other, but rather a deliberate act.  It also says the journalist directly told the people involved to stop. 

The petitioner has requested the court to register an FIR against Gandhi and all others suspected of involvement immediately.  Payment for the journalist has also been asked for.  The claims are still just accusations, and the court is asking the respondents for their replies. 

Advocate Had Raised the Alleged Incident Earlier

Bhatia also took the issue to the Supreme Court on October 16.  Earlier, he said that Gandhi had pushed a female journalist into the court area.  He also said to the court that the journalist was three months pregnant and had been taken to the hospital after the incident.

The advocate urged the court to take cognisance of the allegations. The application has been considered again, and the court is asking Gandhi and the other respondents for their responses. 

Why Did Rahul Gandhi and Opposition Leaders March To The Supreme Court?

On October 12, Gandhi and a group of opposition leaders, along with their supporters, filed a plea in the Supreme Court against allegations of widespread voter deletions and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, marking the alleged incident. 

The march happened during protests in Delhi where people were asking for the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, to step down because of suspected problems in the SIR process. 

The Supreme Court had previously served notices to Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, the Congress party and other individuals on a petition challenging the October 12 march. 

The most recent notice is about a different application that says the journalist was pushed during the march.  The court has not yet resolved the allegations, and subsequent proceedings will determine how the respondents address the claims and if the relief sought should be granted.