Supreme Court to hear plea alleging Rahul Gandhi pushed pregnant journalist

The Supreme Court will consider an application alleging Rahul Gandhi pushed a pregnant journalist. The case broadens judicial scrutiny of the October 12 Opposition march.

In Short

• Senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia raised the allegation before the bench
• The journalist was reportedly three months pregnant and required hospitalisation
• Opposition leaders marched over alleged voter deletions and electoral roll irregularities

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear an application alleging that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pushed a pregnant journalist during a march to the court on October 12, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said the application would be heard on October 26 or 27.

Senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia, who mentioned the matter, said the application had been filed in a pending petition. "A female journalist was manhandled on the court premises," he said.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court heard several pleas related to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, protests in Delhi, the October 12 march to the court and the alleged assault of journalists and lawyers.

The court directed that no coercive action be taken against a woman journalist booked on a complaint by a Delhi Police officer. The officer alleged that she had made casteist remarks and publicly humiliated him during a protest near Jantar Mantar.

Bhatia also urged the bench to consider the case of the pregnant journalist who, he alleged, was pushed by Gandhi on the Supreme Court premises during the October 12 march, PTI reported.

"A lady journalist was pushed by Rahul Gandhi in the Supreme Court precincts. She was three months pregnant and had to be hospitalised," Bhatia argued, asking the court to take cognisance of the matter. The bench asked him to file a petition and said it would consider the issue.

On October 12, Gandhi and several prominent Opposition leaders, along with their supporters, reached the Supreme Court to file a plea over alleged large-scale voter deletions and irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls. Delhi has witnessed several protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the alleged irregularities.

The Supreme Court on Thursday also issued notices to Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, the Congress and others on a plea against the October 12 march. It will now hear the application concerning the alleged incident involving the pregnant journalist on October 26 or 27.

- Ends