00:00With the showdown over SIR and the Chief Election Commissioner reaching the Supreme Court today,
00:05a two-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice of India took up multiple petitions related to the
00:12SIR. It has issued notices to the EC and the Chief Election Commissioner in the petition filed by
00:18Rahul Gandhi and other India bloc leaders. The Chief Justice of India stirred a bit of a controversy
00:25though. Surya Khan questioning the conduct of the opposition leaders led by Rahul Gandhi,
00:30who led, remember, a protest march to the Supreme Court on Monday, saying the Supreme Court would
00:36not be browbeaten. Lawyers who represented the protesters have meanwhile sought an independent
00:41probe into alleged police excesses, particularly against women and women journalists. Here is
00:48tonight's top story.
00:52The Supreme Court on Thursday heard a bunch of petitions related to protest against a special
00:57intensive revision of electoral rules. A two-judge bench of Chief Justice Surya Khan and Justice
01:04Joy Malia Bakshi took up the pleas one by one. On India bloc leaders' plea against voter deletions
01:11and alleged irregularities in SIR, the court issued notices to the Election Commission and Chief
01:17Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The CGI, however, said, and I quote,
01:22We would like to ask one of the petitioners about his conduct on the next state of hearing, unquote.
01:28While the court did not mention the name of the petitioner, the reference was to Rahul Gandhi and
01:33opposition leaders who took out a march to the Supreme Court on Monday. The bench also took up a
01:40petition seeking restrictions on protests inside court premises. The court issued notices to the
01:47Congress Rahul Gandhi and other India bloc leaders over the protests held on Monday. During the
01:53hearing, BGP leader and senior advocate Gaurab Bhatia said 200 lawyers signed a memo citing browbeating
02:01of judiciary. The CGI responded saying, and I quote, nobody can browbeat the judiciary, unquote. The bench
02:09added, and I quote, we are not sitting in ivory towers. We know what statements they make outside and what
02:17say in court, unquote. Taking up a batch of petitions on Delhi protests, the court issued notices to the
02:24centre and Delhi police. These petitions are on alleged police excesses against journalists, restrictions on
02:31protests and public movement. The bench ordered law enforcement agencies to preserve CCTV footage and
02:39recordings linked to the protest. Advocate Indira Jai Singh suggested setting up an independent committee to
02:46investigate alleged excesses by police. She also sought protection for a journalist who had alleged sexual
02:53harassment by a police officer. Jai Singh pointed out that the police officer has filed a complaint
02:59alleging cast insult by the journalist. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued, distinction must be made
03:07between journalists and real makers. The court also issued notice on plea challenging denotification of
03:14Jantar Mantar as a protest site. Meanwhile, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan tendered an unconditional and
03:22unqualified apology to the Supreme Court. The apology came in response to a contempt case over violation of
03:29the court's October 10 order against complete ban on metro services and internet ban during CGP protest. The
03:37home secretary in an affidavit said cellular internet services was suspended only in a radius of 4 km. He
03:44clarified Wi-Fi and broadband were not suspended. The government sought a modification in the court to allow
03:51suspension of internet services where needed. With the notices issued, the stage is now set for a court battle
03:59over SIR and CEC Gyanish Kumar. With Anisha Mathur, Bureau Report, India Today.
