Politics1 min read

Sonia Gandhi voter list case: Court allows documents

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Vinod Joshi scheduled the next hearing for November 18 after granting advocate Vikas Tripathi permission to submit further records supporting the complaint. The underlying plea contends that Gandhi was listed as a voter in 1980, removed in 1982, and re-added in 1983 before she was legally granted citizenship. The renewed review comes after Special Judge Vishal Gogne nullified a previous magistrate decision for relying on an unverified photocopy and failing to offer adequate legal reasoning. The magistrate must now solicit a status report from the relevant police officer and deliver a reasoned order.

Key points

  • Rouse Avenue court is conducting a fresh review into allegations surrounding Sonia Gandhi…: Rouse Avenue court is conducting a fresh review into allegations surrounding Sonia Gandhi's historical voter registration status.
  • The presiding magistrate has been ordered to secure a formal status report from the polic…: The presiding magistrate has been ordered to secure a formal status report from the police before issuing a reasoned ruling.
  • Submitted documents placed Gandhi on electoral rolls with a New Delhi Safdarjung Road add…: Submitted documents placed Gandhi on electoral rolls with a New Delhi Safdarjung Road address despite rolls being restricted to citizens.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

The complaint alleges that Sonia Gandhi's name was included in the electoral roll in 1980, before she acquired Indian citizenship in April 1983.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Vinod Joshi granted permission to the complainant to file further documents and listed the matter for November 18. Senior advocate Vikas Tripathi, appearing for the complainant, had sought additional time to submit the documents.

The matter was remanded to the magistrate's court after a sessions court set aside its earlier order refusing to direct the registration of an FIR against Sonia Gandhi.

On September 21, Special Judge (MP-MLA cases) Vishal Gogne allowed a revision petition filed by Tripathi challenging the magistrate court's 2025 order.

While setting aside the earlier order, the sessions court observed that the complaint had been rejected on the basis of a photocopy of an unverified record. It also termed the magistrate's order a "non-speaking order", noting that it did not adequately explain the reasons for rejecting the complaint.

The sessions court further questioned the observations concerning the jurisdiction of the Central government and the Election Commission in matters…

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