Full Breakdown
Rahul Gandhi Faces Supreme Court Notice Over Alleged Push of Pregnant Journalist
By Drooid · · How we work
Alleged Incident and Court Action
On October 12, Rahul Gandhi and several opposition leaders marched to the Supreme Court to submit a petition challenging alleged large-scale deletions and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. During the march, a female journalist who was 11 weeks and 3 days pregnant (reported in one source as three months pregnant) alleges that Gandhi pushed her toward a gate. The push, according to the application filed by senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia, caused her to lose balance, fall, and require hospitalization.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued a notice to Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, the Congress party and others, seeking their response to the plea.
Legal Plea and Requested Relief
The plea, submitted within a pending petition, asks the Court to:
- Direct the immediate registration of a First-Information Report (FIR) against Gandhi and any others involved, invoking Sections 74, 115(2), 125 and 131 read with Section 3(5) of the Bengaluru North Special (BNS) Act.
- Order compensation for the journalist.
The application states that the journalist repeatedly pleaded “Sir, I am being pushed” and “Please don’t push, sir,” but her pleas were allegedly drowned out by chanting supporters. It characterises the push as deliberate rather than a by-product of crowd jostling.
Background: Opposition March and Electoral-Roll Dispute
The October 12 march was part of a broader series of protests in Delhi demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR process. The opposition’s petition to the Supreme Court seeks judicial scrutiny of the alleged voter-deletion exercise.
Data and Timeline
| Date (as per ledger) | Event |
|---|---|
| October 12 | Opposition march to Supreme Court; alleged push of pregnant journalist. |
| October 16 | Senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia urged the bench to consider the matter. |
| Late October (reported) | Supreme Court bench issued notice to respondents. |
*Pregnancy stage*: one source specifies 11 weeks 3 days, another describes the journalist as three months pregnant.
Official Statements & Responses
- The Supreme Court bench has framed the allegations as unproven and has only ordered that the respondents answer the petition; no judgment on liability has been rendered.
- Senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia contended that the journalist’s hospitalization warrants an FIR and compensation, emphasizing the presence of security personnel and other witnesses.
- As of the latest filing, Rahul Gandhi and the other respondents have not submitted a response, and the Court’s further direction remains pending.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Pregnancy description varies between “11 weeks 3 days” and “three months,” reflecting a minor reporting inconsistency.
- The journalist’s complaint to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, seeking an FIR has not resulted in any FIR being registered to date.
- No factual determination by the Court has been made; the outcome of the notice and any subsequent investigation are still unknown.
What’s Next
The Supreme Court will review the responses from Gandhi and the other parties before deciding whether to order an FIR, award compensation, or take any further procedural steps. Subsequent hearings are expected, but exact dates have not been disclosed.