New Delhi – A criminal complaint has been filed in Rouse Avenue Court against former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, accusing her of forging documents to be listed as an Indian voter before acquiring citizenship.
The petition, filed by advocate Vikas Tripathi, seeks a probe into how Gandhi allegedly cast her vote before becoming an Indian national on April 30, 1983, under Section 5 of the Citizenship Act. The complaint points out that her name appeared on the New Delhi parliamentary constituency voter rolls as early as 1981–82.
The case came up before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vaibhav Chaurasia on Thursday. The court recorded detailed submissions from the complainant’s side and fixed September 10 for the next hearing.
Senior Advocates Anil Soni and Pawan Narang, representing the petitioner, argued that the issue was legal, not political, and alleged that Gandhi’s voter registration before 1983 constituted a cognizable offence requiring police investigation. Narang further submitted that Gandhi’s name, along with that of her late brother-in-law Sanjay Gandhi, was deleted from the rolls in 1982, indicating irregularities in her initial enrollment.
According to the complaint, forged or falsified documents may have been submitted to the Election Commission, misleading a public authority. Despite approaching Delhi Police earlier, the petitioner claimed no action was taken, prompting the move to court.
The plea also cites a 1985 Allahabad High Court ruling in Rakesh Singh vs Sonia Gandhi, where the court held that she became an Indian citizen on April 30, 1983, through registration. The petitioner now argues that any voter enrollment before this date was unlawful.
The complaint requests the court to order registration of an FIR, requisition relevant records, and direct an investigation into the documents filed with the Election Commission. The matter will be heard again on September 10.
