The Supreme Court put Rahul Gandhi on notice on Tuesday, demanding a response to a complaint alleging he physically assaulted a pregnant reporter inside its own precincts. The bench, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, issued the notice after senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia raised the matter on October 16. The core allegation is specific: the plea claims Gandhi pushed the woman with enough force to make her lose balance and fall, an act described as distinct from mere crowd jostling.
The incident allegedly occurred on October 12, when Gandhi and opposition leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Akhilesh Yadav, marched to the court to challenge the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The plea filed in this context states that the journalist was three months pregnant and had to be hospitalized after the fall. Bhatia argued to the court that the push happened openly, in front of security personnel and other staff, despite the woman’s pleas.
This legal escalation adds a new layer of tension to the ongoing dispute over the SIR process, which has sparked nationwide protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Court had already issued notices to Gandhi, Congress, and other leaders regarding the march itself. By now interning a specific physical assault allegation, the case has shifted from a procedural challenge to a matter of personal liability and potential criminal action.
The application before the Court seeks two immediate outcomes: the registration of an FIR against Gandhi and others involved, and financial compensation for the victim. The Court has not yet set a date for the next hearing, but the issuance of the notice signals it is taking the complaint seriously enough to require a formal legal response from the Congress leader before proceeding further.