Sonia Gandhi gets court notice over '1980-81 electoral roll entry'
What's the story
A Delhi court has issued notices to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and the Delhi Police on a plea challenging the inclusion of her name in the electoral roll three years before she became an Indian citizen, as reported by Bar and Bench. The plea was filed by Vikas Tripathi, who alleged that Gandhi's name was added to the electoral roll of the New Delhi constituency in 1980 even though she became a citizen of India only in April 1983.
Legal challenge
Plea challenges earlier court's decision on Gandhi's voter roll inclusion
The plea challenges the September 11 order of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Vaibhav Chaurasiya. Chaurasiya had rejected Tripathi's petition, observing that issues of citizenship are under the purview of the Central government and eligibility for electoral rolls is decided by the Election Commission of India (ECI). He ruled that probing this matter would infringe on constitutional authorities' domains, violating Article 329 of India's Constitution.
Legal argument
Senior advocate argues for investigation into Gandhi's voter roll inclusion
Senior Advocate Pavan Narang, representing Tripathi, argued "Certain documents must have been forged, fabricated and falsified to get the name included in the electoral roll," He contended that if these documents were forged, it would warrant an investigation. Narang requested the court to direct an investigation into this matter instead of filing a chargesheet immediately. The case will be heard next on January 6, 2026.