New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday, April 18, 2026, directed all parties to file their written submissions within one week in a case concerning the alleged unauthorized inclusion of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in the 1980 electoral rolls. The matter, currently being heard by Special Judge Vishal Gogne at the Rouse Avenue Court, involves a revision plea challenging a lower court’s refusal to register an FIR over claims that she was registered as a voter before obtaining Indian citizenship in 1983. During the proceedings, the complainant’s counsel concluded rebuttal arguments and sought to place a report from the Election Commission of India on the record.
Sonia Gandhi’s legal team has maintained that the petition is “politically motivated” and an abuse of the legal process, reviving decades-old controversies without credible documentary evidence. Her response emphasizes that issues regarding citizenship and electoral rolls fall exclusively within the jurisdiction of the Central Government and the Election Commission, rather than the criminal courts. The court had previously noted that judicial interference in such matters is restricted under Article 329 of the Constitution, which bars courts from adjudicating electoral disputes except through specific election petitions.
The case originated from a complaint by Vikas Tripathi, which was dismissed by a Magistrate court in September 2025 on the grounds that it lacked the essential particulars of forgery or cheating. The Magistrate had observed that the complaint appeared to be an attempt to project an ordinary dispute as a criminal matter to create jurisdiction where none exists. Following the submission of final written arguments this week, Special Judge Gogne has listed the matter for its next hearing on May 16, 2026.
