Delhi Court Seeks Written Submissions From Sonia Gandhi in Voter List Dispute Case

A Delhi court on Saturday directed Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to submit written arguments in connection with a criminal revision petition alleging irregularities in her inclusion in electoral rolls prior to acquiring Indian citizenship. The matter is being heard at the Rouse Avenue Court and has been scheduled for further proceedings on May 16.

The case stems from a petition filed by advocate Vikas Tripathi, who has sought directions for a police investigation into allegations that Gandhi’s name was fraudulently included in the voter list before she became an Indian citizen. The complainant argues that the issue raises serious questions regarding the validity of documents used for her registration as a voter.

During the hearing, counsel for the complainant completed oral submissions and requested permission to place additional documents from the Election Commission of India (ECI) on record. The court allowed the request and accepted the documents as part of the proceedings. It was also argued that the petition does not seek the immediate initiation of a trial but only demands a police probe into the matter.

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The court directed both sides to file their written submissions within one week, after which the matter will be taken up for further hearing. Sonia Gandhi’s legal team was also granted permission to present additional arguments at the next hearing date.

Earlier, a magistrate court had dismissed the original complaint seeking registration of an FIR, observing that courts cannot interfere in matters that fall under the jurisdiction of constitutional authorities such as the Election Commission. It also cited constitutional limitations under Article 329, which restricts judicial intervention in electoral disputes except through election petitions.

The revision plea was later admitted by Special Judge Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Court in December last year, who issued notices to Sonia Gandhi and the Delhi Police for further examination of the matter.

In her response to the allegations, Sonia Gandhi has described the claims as politically motivated and lacking credible evidence. She has argued that issues related to citizenship fall under the jurisdiction of the Central government, while voter list matters are handled by the Election Commission. Her legal team has further stated that no documentary proof has been presented to support allegations of forgery or fraud, calling the proceedings an abuse of legal process. The matter has also sparked political debate, with opposition leaders dismissing the allegations as baseless while rival parties have previously cited the case in discussions around electoral transparency.

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