A magistrate court at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court will hear afresh a complaint concerning the alleged inclusion of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s name in the electoral roll in 1980, before she became an Indian citizen in April 1983.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Vinod Joshi, who handles MP-MLA cases, has listed the matter for hearing on October 28, 2026. The case was assigned to his court by the Principal District and Sessions Judge of Rouse Avenue Court after a sessions court set aside an earlier order that had rejected the complainant’s request for registration of an FIR.
The complaint was filed by advocate Vikas Tripathi, who alleged that Sonia Gandhi’s name appeared on the electoral roll before she acquired Indian citizenship. The allegations remain subject to judicial consideration, and the fresh hearing does not establish that any offence was committed.
Sessions Court Sets Aside Earlier Magistrate Order
On September 21, 2026, Special Judge Vishal Gogne allowed a revision petition challenging the 2025 order of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate. The sessions court found that the earlier order rejecting the complaint did not adequately explain the reasons for its decision.
Describing the order as a “non-speaking order”, the court said it was liable to be set aside. It also questioned the treatment of the complaint, which had been rejected on the basis of what the court described as a bald assertion supported by a photocopy of an unverified record.
The revisional court observed that the earlier order did not properly address whether the allegations disclosed a cognisable offence.
Complaint Concerns Electoral Roll Entries From 1980 to 1983
According to the allegations cited in the proceedings, Sonia Gandhi’s name was included in the electoral roll in 1980, removed in 1982 and subsequently added again in 1983.
The sessions court noted that the documents submitted by the complainant allegedly showed Sonia Gandhi’s name in the voter list, with her residential address recorded as Safdarjung Road in New Delhi.
The court also observed that electoral rolls are intended for eligible Indian citizens and questioned the earlier magistrate court’s handling of the citizenship-related aspects of the complaint.
These observations concern the allegations and the adequacy of the earlier judicial order; they do not amount to a final finding that the alleged electoral roll inclusion was unlawful.
Court Directs Fresh Consideration of Complaint
While remanding the matter, the sessions court said it could not assume the role of the magistrate court and decide the complaint itself. Instead, the matter must be reconsidered by the magistrate, which is required to examine the allegations afresh.
The revisional court directed the magistrate to obtain a status report from the concerned police officer and pass a reasoned order after hearing the officer.
The fresh proceedings will therefore focus on whether the complaint and supporting material warrant further action under the applicable law.
October 28 Hearing to Determine Next Steps
The matter is scheduled to come up before ACJM Vinod Joshi on October 28, 2026. The magistrate court will reconsider the complaint in light of the sessions court’s observations and the police status report.
The central issue is whether the allegations concerning Sonia Gandhi’s electoral roll entries before her reported acquisition of Indian citizenship disclose a cognisable offence warranting further legal action.
The upcoming hearing is a procedural step in the case. No final determination on the allegations has been reported in the supplied information.
