FIR Plea Against Sonia Gandhi Over Voter Roll Entry Before Citizenship Sparks Controversy

A fresh controversy has emerged as a criminal complaint was filed in a Delhi court seeking an FIR against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for allegedly having her name included in the electoral rolls of the New Delhi constituency in 1980, three years before she officially acquired Indian citizenship in 1983. The complaint questions whether forged documents were used to list her name illegally. It states that Gandhi’s name first appeared in 1980, was deleted in 1982 after objections, and re-entered in 1983 after she became a citizen. The petitioner’s lawyer argued that this sequence suggests irregularities or possible forgery and urged the court to direct a police investigation. The court has scheduled a hearing for September 10, 2025, to decide whether to order an inquiry or FIR registration.

The complaint has been filed under Section 175(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS), which empowers a magistrate to order an investigation. However, the charge could escalate to Section 337 of BNSS if facts indicate actual forgery of a public record or document. Section 337 addresses forgery of court records or public registers such as electoral rolls, carrying a punishment of up to seven years imprisonment if convicted.

The proceedings come amid ongoing political scrutiny of Sonia Gandhi’s citizenship, which has been debated since she acquired Indian citizenship after moving from Italy in 1983. Whether the earlier inclusion was a procedural error or deliberate falsification will be determined by the court’s investigation. This case marks another chapter in the ongoing debates over her political legitimacy and is expected to attract significant public and political attention. The case, titled Vikas Tripathi v. Sonia Gandhi, is next listed for hearing on September 10.