Lucknow, Apr 7 The Allahabad High Court has expressed reluctance to examine records produced by the central government in connection with the alleged dual citizenship controversy involving Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
The matter was heard by the Lucknow bench of the high court in the chamber on Monday after the Centre submitted that the issue was sensitive. The next hearing has been scheduled for April 15.
In its order uploaded on the court's website on Tuesday, the bench of Justice Subhash Vidyarthi said, "The officers from the central government are present with records but this court does not propose to go into the correctness of allegations levelled against Gandhi in the present matter; the court has not examined the said records."
The order came on a petition filed by S Vignesh Shishir, a BJP worker, challenging a January 28 order of a special MP/MLA court in Lucknow, which had rejected his plea seeking registration of an FIR against Gandhi. The lower court had held that it was not competent to decide issues relating to citizenship.
The petitioner, a resident of Karnataka, has sought registration of an FIR and a detailed probe, levelling allegations under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Official Secrets Act, the Foreigners Act and the Passport Act.
During earlier hearings, the bench had asked the Centre about action taken on a complaint alleging Gandhi's British citizenship and had summoned records from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Although the records were produced, the court on Monday chose not to examine them.
The complaint was initially filed before a special MP/MLA court in Rae Bareli. On December 17, 2025, the high court transferred the case to Lucknow.
The petitioner subsequently moved the high court after his plea was dismissed by the Lucknow court.
