Court seeks Sonia Gandhi’s reply in voter list case, next hearing on May 16 | India News
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday ordered Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi to file a written submission in a criminal revision petition alleging her name was forged in the voter list before she acquired Indian citizenship, the matter was listed on May 16. During the hearing, the complainant’s counsel concluded oral arguments and sought permission to place on record some of the documents received. Election Commission of India (ECI). The court allowed the application and took the document on record. It was argued that the revision petition moved by advocate Vikas Tripathi did not seek initiation of trial at this stage but only a direction to the police to investigate the allegations. The complainant’s counsel also contended that while Sonia Gandhi’s name was included in the voter list, she had not acquired Indian citizenship, suspecting that the inclusion could be based on fake or forged documents. Opposing the petition, Sonia Gandhi submitted that the allegations are “politically motivated”, baseless and based on false and misleading information. He argued that questions related to citizenship fell exclusively within the jurisdiction of the central government, while disputes related to electoral rolls were within the jurisdiction of the Election Commission. He also said that no credible documentary evidence was produced to prove the allegation of forgery or fraud and described the process as an abuse of legal process. His lawyer sought liberty to make additional submissions on a later date of hearing, which the court allowed, ordering both sides to file written arguments within a week. Earlier, a magistrate court had dismissed the complaint seeking registration of an FIR, saying judicial interference would be barred under Article 329 of the Constitution, which limits interference in electoral matters, except through election petitions. However, in December 2025, a special court agreed to examine the revision petition and issued notices to Sonia Gandhi and the Delhi Police.
