The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday issued a formal notice to the Centre, the Delhi Police, and the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, following a plea filed by a journalist who alleges she was assaulted during a political protest. The bench, presided over by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant alongside Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, initiated proceedings after senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia mentioned the matter before the court.
The application pertains to an incident reported on October 12, during a protest march by Opposition leaders at the Supreme Court premises regarding the anti-CEC movement. According to the plea, journalist Richa Parashar, who works with the news website Oneindia, was stationed near the Registry Counter to cover the filing of a petition. The petition states that at approximately 6:30 pm, a large political procession led by Rahul Gandhi and accompanied by numerous Congress workers entered the court premises.
The complainant alleges that when she attempted to question Rahul Gandhi regarding the presence of a large crowd within the court building, he pushed her toward a gate. The plea asserts that the force of the push caused her to lose her balance and fall, requiring her to break the impact with her hands. The journalist, who reported being 11 weeks and three days pregnant at the time, alleged that she sustained physical injuries and damage to her professional equipment, including a shattered mobile phone and a damaged microphone.
The court filing highlights that the incident occurred in a public space in the presence of security personnel and other media representatives. According to the plea, the journalist’s requests for assistance were ignored by the leader and the accompanying crowd, which continued to chant slogans. She claimed she sat on a nearby pavement for nearly 40 minutes seeking help before being admitted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital due to abdominal pain and concerns regarding her pregnancy.
Further, the application claims that the journalist submitted a written complaint to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) on October 17, requesting the registration of an FIR. However, the plea states that no FIR has been registered to date, and she has not received formal notification regarding any action taken by the police.
The petition also addresses the response from Congress representatives following the event. The applicant alleges that rather than expressing regret, members of the party attempted to discredit her account, dismissing the incident as political propaganda. The plea describes this reaction as a form of secondary victimisation, noting that it has subjected the journalist to further humiliation and online abuse.
The Supreme Court's notice requires the involved parties to respond to the allegations detailed in the application. As the case proceeds, the legal focus will likely center on the jurisdictional aspects of the incident occurring within the court premises and the subsequent handling of the complaint by law enforcement agencies. No further details were provided by the court regarding the timeline for these responses.
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