Sonia Gandhi electoral roll case: Delhi Court sets aside order refusing probe

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday allowed a revision plea challenging a September 11, 2025 magistrate's order that refused to investigate allegations that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's name was included in the electoral roll three years before she acquired Indian citizenship in 1983.

Special Judge Vishal Gogne quashed the magisterial court's ruling, characterising it as "non-speaking". The lower court's order had dismissed a complaint lodged by Advocate Vikas Tripathi, vice-president of the Central Delhi Court Bar Association at the Rouse Avenue courts.

"The impugned order suffers from a manifest error in law on account of non-compliance with Section 175(3) of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), inter alia, not hearing the submissions of the police officer concerned and non-calling of a status report from the police station concerned," the judge said.

He noted that the "non-speaking" nature of the ruling was apparent as the magistrate failed to evaluate the two legal avenues available: ordering the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) or, alternatively, initiating proceedings under the BNSS framework.

The judge observed that the magistrate, rather than addressing the primary question of whether the complaint revealed the commission of a cognisable offence, instead digressed toward the matter of citizenship.

The court remanded the case back to the magistrate to issue a reasoned order following a fresh hearing of arguments.

The matter has been listed for further proceedings on September 29.

PTI