Delhi Court Adjourns Hearing on Sonia Gandhi's Electoral Roll Controversy
Court Proceedings Update
New Delhi, March 30: A hearing regarding a criminal revision petition against Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, has been postponed by a Delhi court. This case pertains to allegations of her name being fraudulently added to the electoral rolls prior to her obtaining Indian citizenship.
The Rouse Avenue Court has rescheduled the matter for April 18 after the petitioner completed his arguments, while the defense's submissions were left unresolved.
The petition, filed by advocate Vikas Tripathi, calls for the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) and an investigation into the supposed improper inclusion of Sonia Gandhi’s name in the voter list despite her not being a citizen.
During the proceedings, the petitioner's counsel argued that the case involves a declaration from a foreign national, suggesting that it could not have happened without fraudulent documentation.
He presented certified copies of the electoral rolls to support his claim that a false declaration was made, which necessitates an inquiry into potential forgery and document fabrication.
However, the arguments from Sonia Gandhi's side were not concluded and will continue in the next hearing.
On December 9, 2025, Special Judge Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Court agreed to review the revision petition and issued notices to both Sonia Gandhi and the Delhi Police, scheduling further hearings.
Previously, a Magistrate Court had dismissed the complaint for an FIR, stating that the judiciary cannot interfere in matters that are constitutionally designated to other authorities.
The court noted that such interference is restricted under Article 329 of the Constitution, which limits judicial involvement in electoral issues to election petitions only. Sonia Gandhi has countered the revision petition, labeling the allegations as "politically motivated" and based on misleading information.
In her response, she asserted that citizenship matters fall under the Central government's jurisdiction, while electoral roll disputes are managed by the Election Commission of India.
She further claimed that no substantial evidence has been presented to support the allegations of fraud or forgery, describing the legal actions as an abuse of the judicial process.
This issue has sparked political debate, with leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party accusing the Congress of past voter list manipulations, using Sonia Gandhi's case as a reference for alleged irregularities. Conversely, the Congress party has dismissed these accusations as "baseless" and retaliatory.