Supreme Court to Hear Plea Over Pregnant Journalist’s Allegations Against Rahul Gandhi on November 3

The matter was mentioned before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant by senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia, who pointed out that the application concerning the journalist had not yet been listed for hearing.

In response, the CJI-led Bench clarified that notice had already been issued in the matter and confirmed that it would be taken up on November 3.

Journalist Alleges She Was Pulled During Protest

The journalist, Richa Parashar, who works for a news website, alleged that Gandhi grabbed her hand and pulled her while she was covering the Opposition leaders’ march on October 12 over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

According to her allegations, Gandhi’s security personnel subsequently pushed her, causing her to fall. She was later hospitalised.

Parashar, who is three months pregnant, alleged that the incident occurred amid the commotion surrounding the INDIA bloc leaders’ protest on the Supreme Court premises.

The Congress has rejected the allegations, describing them as politically motivated. Party leaders and supporters have also circulated videos of the incident and questioned whether the available visuals establish that Gandhi pushed the journalist.

The allegations have not been established as a judicial finding.

Court Orders Preservation of CCTV Footage

The matter comes amid separate proceedings concerning safeguards against political demonstrations in and around the Supreme Court premises.

On October 15, a Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notice on a plea related to the incident and directed that CCTV footage and other digital evidence be preserved.

The November 3 hearing will take place against this backdrop, with the court having already initiated proceedings on the matter.

Background to the INDIA Bloc March

The INDIA bloc leaders’ march followed the Chief Justice's refusal to meet Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who had sought an appointment to submit a memorandum on the SIR exercise.

The Chief Justice had advised the Opposition leaders to approach the court through the established legal process. He also observed that holding a meeting to discuss pending cases would be inconsistent with the constitutional principle of separation of powers.

The Supreme Court’s next hearing is expected to address the matter in the context of the proceedings already initiated. The allegations against Gandhi remain disputed, with the Congress denying them.