Delhi court directs Sonia Gandhi to file written submissions in FIR plea over voter list issue

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) A Delhi court on Saturday directed Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to file her written submissions in a criminal revision petition alleging fraudulent inclusion of her name in electoral rolls before she acquired Indian citizenship.

While listing the matter for further hearing on May 16, the Rouse Avenue Court directed both parties to file their written submissions within a week.

During the hearing, counsel for the complainant concluded his oral arguments and sought permission to place on record certain documents received from the Election Commission of India (ECI). The court allowed the request and permitted the documents to be taken on record.

It was argued that the revision petition, moved by advocate Vikas Tripathi, does not seek commencement of trial at this stage but only seeks a direction to the police to investigate the allegations.

The complainant’s counsel further argued that at the time when Sonia Gandhi’s name was allegedly included in the voter list, she had not acquired Indian citizenship, raising suspicion that the inclusion may have been based on forged or fraudulent documents.

Meanwhile, counsel for Sonia Gandhi sought liberty to advance certain additional submissions on the next date of hearing, which the court permitted.

After hearing the submissions, the court directed both sides to file their written arguments within one week and posted the matter for further consideration on May 16.

In an order passed in December last year, Special Judge (Prevention of Corruption Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Court agreed to examine the revision plea and issued notice to Sonia Gandhi as well as the Delhi Police, directing the matter to be listed for further hearing.

Earlier, the Magistrate Court had dismissed the complaint seeking registration of an FIR, saying that the judiciary cannot embark upon an inquiry that would result in unwarranted transgression into fields expressly entrusted to Constitutional authorities.

It held that such intervention would be barred under Article 329 of the Constitution, which limits judicial interference in electoral matters except through election petitions.

Opposing the revision petition, Sonia Gandhi has told the court that the allegations are “politically motivated”, baseless, and founded on incorrect and misleading facts. In her reply, Sonia Gandhi said that questions relating to citizenship fall exclusively within the jurisdiction of the Central government, while disputes concerning electoral rolls lie within the authority of the Election Commission of India.

She has also added that no credible documentary evidence has been produced to substantiate allegations of forgery or fraud and described the proceedings as an abuse of the legal process. The issue has been politically contentious, with BJP leaders accusing the Congress of manipulating voter lists in the past and referring to the Sonia Gandhi case as an example of alleged irregularities.

Congress, on the other hand, has dismissed such claims as “baseless” and “retaliatory”.

–IANS

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