Amid Congress’s own accusations of “vote chori” raised by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, a fresh controversy has erupted — this time involving senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi. A criminal complaint has been filed in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court, accusing the former Congress president of allegedly forging documents to secure Indian voter status before she formally became a citizen in April 1983.

The petition, submitted by advocate Vikas Tripathi, has requested an inquiry into how Sonia Gandhi was able to exercise her voting rights prior to her official citizenship. The plea alleges discrepancies in her documents and seeks accountability over the process that allowed her to cast her vote prematurely.

The matter came up before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vaibhav Chaurasia, who heard detailed submissions from the complainant’s side. The court noted that arguments from the petitioner’s side were complete and has listed the matter for further hearing on September 10. Senior Advocates Anil Soni and Pawan Narang appeared for the complainant. Advocate Narang argued that the issue at hand is not political but legal, emphasising that the alleged acts constitute a “cognizable offence” that warrants a police investigation.

According to the complaint, Sonia Gandhi, originally an Italian citizen, became an Indian national on April 30, 1983, under Section 5 of the Citizenship Act. However, her name appeared in the New Delhi parliamentary constituency voters’ list as early as 1981-82, raising questions about the documents submitted to the Election Commission at the time.

Advocate Narang pointed out that Gandhi’s name, along with that of her late brother-in-law Sanjay Gandhi, was later deleted from the rolls in 1982. He argued that such a deletion indicates that her earlier entry in the electoral rolls was irregular, as only Indian citizens are eligible to be enrolled as voters.

Citing documents, Narang submitted that forged or falsified documents may have been used to secure her inclusion in the voters’ list before her citizenship was granted. “A public authority has been misled, and a fraud appears to have been committed,” he told the court. He further argued that despite approaching the Delhi Police and senior officers with a complaint, no action was taken, leaving the petitioner with no option but to approach the court. The plea, therefore, seeks a direction for registration of an FIR and investigation into the alleged offences.

The complaint also relies on a 1985 Allahabad High Court judgment in Rakesh Singh vs Sonia Gandhi, which had examined the issue of her citizenship in the context of an election petition. While the court had then held that she became an Indian citizen on April 30, 1983, by registration, the present plea argues that any voter enrollment prior to that date was illegal.

The petitioner has urged the court to direct the police to investigate, requisition records, and examine the documents submitted to the Election Commission during that period. The court will take up the matter again on September 10, 2025. (With ANI inputs)