The Allahabad High Court allowed the Centre to be impleaded in a plea on Rahul Gandhi citizenship. Justice Subhash Vidyarthi directed production of relevant records on April 6 while hearing a petition filed by S. Vignesh Shishir.
LUCKNOW: The Allahabad High Court permitted the Central government to be impleaded as a party in the case concerning Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s citizenship and directed it to produce the relevant records on April 6.
Justice Subhash Vidyarthi of the Lucknow bench issued the order while hearing a petition filed by S. Vignesh Shishir.
The Court allowed the Centre to be added as an opposite party and instructed it to present records pertaining to the citizenship dispute at the next hearing.
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At an earlier hearing, the Central government had asked that the matter not be taken up in open court because the documents it had received from the Home Ministry were confidential; the Court had then proceeded in chambers.
The petitioner is challenging a January 28, 2026 order of a special MP/MLA court in Lucknow that refused his request to register an FIR against Gandhi.
In his petition, Shishir has sought directions for lodging an FIR and a thorough investigation into the allegations about Gandhi’s citizenship, invoking provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Passport Act and the Official Secrets Act.
Background: Rahul Gandhi’s Dual Citizenship Case
The case originates from a complaint filed by S. Vignesh Shishir, a BJP worker from Karnataka. The petitioner has alleged that Rahul Gandhi holds British citizenship, which would make him ineligible to retain Indian citizenship under Indian law.
According to the complainant, documents and email communications purportedly belonging to the British government indicate that Rahul Gandhi was listed as a British citizen. Shishir claims that these documents were placed on record before the court.
Legal Provisions Invoked Against Rahul Gandhi
The petitioner has urged the court to order the registration of an FIR against Rahul Gandhi and to direct a comprehensive investigation into the alleged dual citizenship matter. Along with seeking a probe, the complainant has also requested revocation of Gandhi’s Indian citizenship, claiming that holding foreign citizenship would attract serious legal consequences.
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The plea alleges violations under several statutory provisions, including sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Official Secrets Act, 1923, the Foreigners Act, and the Passport Act.
The court reportedly took on record 45 annexures, several documents, and a sealed envelope submitted by the complainant.
Initially, the complaint was filed in the Special MP/MLA Court in Rae Bareli, which is also Rahul Gandhi’s parliamentary constituency. However, the matter was later transferred to Lucknow following an order of the Allahabad High Court.
The transfer was granted after the petitioner expressed apprehension of a threat to his life in Rae Bareli. The High Court directed that the case be heard in Lucknow to ensure fairness and safety.
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