Supreme Court Seeks Response On Plea Alleging Rahul Gandhi Pushed Pregnant Journalist
Supreme Court has been told a female journalist was manhandled in the court premises by Rahul Gandhi
Supreme Court has sought a response from Rahul Gandhi in a plea alleging he pushed a pregnant journalist.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a response from Rahul Gandhi on a plea which alleged the Congress leader pushed a pregnant journalist during a march to the apex court on October 12.
Senior Advocate Gaurav Bhatia mentioned the plea today before a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana, which issued notice to Gandhi and others.
Bhatia told court, "Notice was issued, we got that impression, but it has not been listed".
CJI assured Bhatia that the case would be listed.
On October 15, referring to the October 12 march towards the Supreme Court, Senior Advocate Gaurav Bhatia had drawn the Court's attention to the alleged pushing of a pregnant woman journalist and sought preservation of CCTV footage.
The Court had then directed law enforcement agencies to preserve CCTV and other digital material, while also issuing notice in the petition.
SG Mehta had noted that the woman journalist was indeed pushed.
"Respondent No.4 (Rahul Gandhi) suddenly pushed her towards the gate, with such force that she lost her balance and fell, and had to break the fall with her hands. The push was delivered openly, in a crowded place, in the presence of security personnel, journalists and other persons, despite her express pleas, and was not a mere jostle of the crowd”, the plea submits.
On October 12, Gandhi and several prominent opposition leaders, accompanied by their supporters, reached the Supreme Court to file a plea over alleged large-scale voter deletions and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Four advocates have also approached the Supreme Court seeking a uniform set of rules to govern political marches and demonstrations near the Supreme Court and the High Courts, along with a complete ban on political protests inside court complexes. The plea has been filed in the wake of the October 12 march towards the Supreme Court over concerns relating to the Election Commission of India and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The petitioners have also asked the Court to examine the conduct of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, and to consider initiating criminal contempt proceedings against them if their conduct is found to warrant it.
The march was held under the banners “March for Democracy” and “Chalo Dilli”. According to the plea, it followed the CJI’s decision to decline a request from the Leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to meet him and hand over a memorandum on the Election Commission.