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The plea alleged Sonia Gandhi’s name was added to the New Delhi voter list in 1980, three years before she became an Indian citizen.
Sonia Gandhi, leader of Congress party, arrives to attend a meeting in New Delhi. (IMAGE: REUTERS)
A Delhi court on Thursday dismissed a plea seeking registration of an FIR against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, which alleged that her name was entered in the electoral rolls before she became an Indian citizen.
The petition, filed by complainant Vikas Tripathi, claimed Gandhi’s name was added to the New Delhi constituency voter list in January 1980, three years before she acquired Indian citizenship, according to a report by PTI released earlier this week.
Senior advocate Pavan Narang, appearing for Tripathi, had argued that citizenship was a prerequisite for being a voter and alleged that Gandhi’s inclusion at the time amounted to forgery and cheating of public authorities.
The PTI report said that Narang told the court that proof of residence in 1980 was typically based on documents like a ration card or passport and questioned how Gandhi’s name could have been validly entered if she was not yet a citizen. He further pointed out that in 1982, the Election Commission deleted her name from the rolls along with that of Sanjay Gandhi, who had died in a plane crash, suggesting the deletion reflected an irregularity. Gandhi’s name was restored in 1983, after she obtained Indian citizenship.
“The reason for the deletion is nowhere to be found. There can be two reasons, either someone takes the citizenship of another country or files a Form 8 (application for correction in particulars in an electoral roll), but the prerequisite is that the person has to be a citizen,” Narang had said.
“What documents were given to the election commission (EC) when her name got included in 1980?” he had asked.
The plea was moved under Section 175(4) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, which empowers a magistrate to order an investigation. The complainant sought directions to the police to register an FIR and probe the alleged forgery.
Rejecting the application, the court declined to order registration of an FIR against Gandhi.
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev…Read More
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev… Read More
September 11, 2025, 16:22 IST
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