Plea In Delhi Court Seeks FIR Against Sonia Gandhi Over 1980 Electoral Roll Entry Before Citizenship

(MENAFN- Live Mint) A Delhi court on Wednesday heard a plea seeking the registration of a first information report (FIR) against senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, alleging that her name appeared in the New Delhi electoral roll in 1980, three years before she became an Indian citizen.

The petition, filed by complainant Vikas Tripathi, claims that Sonia Gandhi's inclusion in the voter list prior to acquiring Indian citizenship suggests the use of forged documents, amounting to a cognisable offence.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Vaibhav Chaurasia of the Rouse Avenue Court heard preliminary arguments and fixed 10 September as the next date of hearing.

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According to Tripathi's plea, Sonia Gandhi officially became an Indian citizen on 30 April 1983, but her name was included in the electoral roll of the New Delhi constituency in 1980, later deleted in 1982, and re-entered in 1983 after she obtained citizenship.

Tripathi's counsel, Senior Advocate Pavan Narang, argued that this timeline raises serious questions about the documents submitted to the Election Commission of India (ECI), Bar and Bench reported.

“Her application [for Indian citizenship] is also of April 1983. How her (Sonia Gandhi) name got included in the electoral roll in the New Delhi constituency in 1980, which was then deleted in '82 and re-entered in 1983 ,” Narang told the court.

He further alleged:“The inclusion of her name in the electoral roll in 1980 means some forged documents were submitted, and there is a case showing that a cognisable offence has been committed.”

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The complaint has been filed under Section 175(4) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which empowers a magistrate to order a police investigation.

Narang requested the court to issue directions to the police to register an FIR and investigate the matter.

“My limited request is to either direct the police to register an FIR under the appropriate sections. Whether they are made out or not is the domain of the police,” Narang said.

“In the interim, a notice could be issued to the police for filing a status report.”

The respondents in the case are Sonia Gandhi and the Station House Officer (SHO) of the IP Estate Police Station.

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The Delhi court did not issue any formal notice to either Sonia Gandhi or Delhi Police at this stage. ACJM Chaurasia observed that the case file, which runs over 230 pages, requires detailed examination before further orders can be passed.

“However, the court in its discretion needs some time to go through the file, which runs to almost 230 pages. Short date (of September 4) is being granted,” the magistrate said during an earlier hearing on 29 August.

On Wednesday, the magistrate concluded the session by setting 10 September for further consideration.

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Narang argued that there is no clear explanation for why Gandhi's name was first deleted from the electoral roll in 1982 and then re-added in 1983 after she gained 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 stated.

“What documents were given to the Election Commission when her name got included in 1980?” he questioned, suggesting that a public authority may have been cheated in the process.

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The case will be taken up again by the Rouse Avenue Court on 10 September, when the magistrate will decide whether to issue notices or direct the police to register an FIR.

No response has yet been issued by Sonia Gandhi or the Congress party regarding the allegations.

(All the quotes have been reported by Bar and Bench )

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