Court orders rehearing of Sonia Gandhi’s electoral roll case

Sonia Gandhi. Photo file. | Photo credit: PTI

A Delhi court on Monday (September 21, 2026) allowed a review petition challenging a September 11, 2025 order of a magistrate refusing to investigate allegations that Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s name was included in the electoral roll three years before she acquired Indian citizenship in 1983.

Special Judge Vishal Gogne set aside the order of the Magisterial Court as “non-speaking”. The order dismissed the complaint filed by Advocate Vikas Tripathi, Vice President of Central Delhi Court Bar Association at Rouse Avenue Courts.

“The impugned order suffers from a manifest error of law due to non-observance of Section 175(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), inter alia, failure to hear the submission of the concerned police officer and failure to send a status report from the concerned police station,” the judge said.

He said the “infantile” nature of the order was apparent because the judge did not consider two options under the law; management of FIR registration or, alternatively, management of proceedings under the BNSS.

The judge said the magistrate, instead of considering the main aspect of whether the complaint disclosed the commission of a cognizable offence, had turned to the issue of citizenship.

After hearing new arguments, the court returned the matter back to the magistrate to issue a reasoned resolution.

The case was transferred for further proceedings on September 29.

Published – 21 Sep 2026 15:31 IST