Court Notice to Sonia Gandhi Over Alleged Pre-Citizenship Electoral Roll Entry
Petition challenges inclusion of Congress leader’s name in 1980 voter list, seeks probe into possible document irregularities.
Staff WriterDec 9, 2025, 1:34 PMA Delhi court on Tuesday issued notices to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and the Delhi Police in response to a plea challenging a lower court’s refusal to register a first information report (FIR) against her. The petition alleges that Gandhi’s name was included in the New Delhi constituency electoral roll in 1980, three years before she officially became an Indian citizen in April 1983.
Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne heard preliminary arguments from Senior Advocate Pavan Narang, representing petitioner Vikas Tripathi, and directed that Gandhi and the Delhi Police respond to the petition. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on January 6, 2026.
Tripathi’s criminal revision petition challenges the September 11 ruling of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Vaibhav Chaurasiya, who had rejected the plea, stating that citizenship issues fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Central government and that the Election Commission of India determines electoral roll eligibility. The judge also noted that investigating the matter could breach Article 329 of the Constitution, which bars judicial interference in certain electoral matters.
Senior Advocate Narang argued that the inclusion of Gandhi’s name before her citizenship indicates possible forgery or falsification of documents. He emphasized that while he is not requesting a chargesheet, the police should investigate the matter.
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