Protest: Lamba’s petition against charges rejected

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday dismissed a revision petition filed by Congress functionary Alka Lamba in a case linked to a protest at Jantar Mantar demanding women's reservation in Parliament ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, holding that "sufficient material existed to take cognisance" of the charges against her. The court rejected her plea for discharge or termination of proceedings and directed that charges be framed under the relevant sections. Lamba had argued that the prosecution case suffered from an "evidentiary vacuum", citing the absence of a medico-legal certificate to support allegations of criminal force. She also claimed the protest site fell within an "exempted area", making the charge of disobeying a lawful order untenable. Special judge Dig Vinay Singh, hearing her challenge to the Dec 2025 order, said the magisterial court had applied its "judicial mind" and rightly found a prima facie case, relying on eyewitness accounts and electronic evidence. The judge also noted that criminal force under the BNS does not require proof of injury. TNN