Delhi court revives Sonia Gandhi's electoral roll entry case
What's the story
A Delhi court has allowed a complaint against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for her inclusion in the electoral roll three years before she became an Indian citizen in 1983. The complaint was initially dismissed by a magistrate's order, which has now been quashed by Special Judge Vishal Gogne as "non-speaking." The judge noted that the earlier order failed to comply with Section 175(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
Legal oversight
Case sent back to magistrate for fresh reasoned order
Judge Gogne slammed the magistrate for not considering two legal options: registering an FIR or proceeding under BNSS.
The judge noted that there was no discussion on why Gandhi's name was added and deleted from electoral rolls in 1980, 1982, and 1983. He stressed that allegations of forgery or cheating warrant a reasoned order, which the previous order lacked.
He has now sent the case back to the magistrate.
The matter will be listed on September 29.
Complainant's stance
Advocate Vikas Tripathi filed complaint
The complaint was filed by Advocate Vikas Tripathi, vice-president of the Central Delhi Court Bar Association.
His complaint was initially dismissed on September 11, 2025, by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACMM) Vaibhav Chaurasiya. Tripathi then filed a revision plea before the sessions court.
On March 30, the court heard the complainant's arguments and Gandhi's counsel's submissions.
"How will you bypass the issue that Sonia Gandhi became a voter prior to her becoming citizen...in 1983?" the court asked her counsel.
Investigation concerns
Arguments from both sides
Senior Advocate R S Cheema, appearing for Gandhi, submitted that the matter amounted to a "fishing and roving inquiry" and that the ACJM had rightly concluded the case.
However, senior Advocate Ajay Burman, appearing for Tripathi, argued that it was not possible for a person's name to be included in the voter list without them becoming a citizen. "We are trying to show the court that only by forged document or fraud it could have been done," he submitted.
Case
Gandhi has refuted the allegations
According to Tripathi, Gandhi's name was included in the electoral rolls of the New Delhi constituency in 1980, when she got Indian citizenship in 1983.
He alleged Gandhi's name was removed from the electoral rolls in 1982 and then reinstated in 1983. He claimed she used fraudulent documents to get her name on the electoral records.
Gandhi has refuted the allegations, arguing that the case was "wholly misconceived, frivolous, politically motivated, and an abuse of the process of law."