The Supreme Court will hear on October 26 an application seeking registration of an FIR against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over the alleged injury to a woman journalist during an Opposition march inside the court premises on October 12.
The plea also requests that CCTV footage and other records connected with the incident be preserved.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said on Friday that the application would be taken up along with other matters concerning protests when the court hears them on October 26.
The application has been filed by advocate Digant Mishra and others in connection with journalist Richa Parashar’s allegation that she was pushed by Gandhi’s security personnel while trying to seek his response with a microphone. She fell during the incident and suffered injuries. Parashar was three months pregnant at the time and was subsequently admitted to hospital.
Sections cited in application
The applicants have asked the Delhi Police to register an FIR against Gandhi and all other persons allegedly involved. They have invoked Section 74 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, relating to assault on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty; Section 115(2), concerning voluntarily causing hurt; and Section 131, covering assault or use of criminal force, along with Section 3(5) and other applicable legal provisions.
The plea further seeks preservation of the complete CCTV recordings covering the gates, steps, driveways and approaches within the Supreme Court complex on October 12. It also asks that access-control logs, entry passes and visitor records for the day be secured.
Senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia sought urgent listing of the application. He referred to the court’s observation on Thursday that it would not take suo motu cognisance of the matter, but would consider it if an application or petition was formally filed.
The Chief Justice said the plea would be heard alongside Mishra’s petition, which came up before the court on Thursday. Mishra had challenged the entry of Gandhi and other Opposition leaders into the Supreme Court premises with a large group of lawyers, arguing that security clearance for such a gathering had not been obtained.
That petition also seeks a neutral framework for regulating processions and demonstrations in and around the judicial complexes of constitutional courts. It calls for a complete ban on political protests within judicial complexes and for guidelines governing the conduct expected from political parties and their leaders on judicial campuses.
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