Judge Vishal Gogne declared the magistrate’s ruling a "non‑speaking" decision, pinpointing breaches of Section 175(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita—an omission that left police submissions unheard and a required status report unfiled. The order, issued on September 11, 2025, had dismissed a complaint from Advocate Vikas Tripathi, vice‑president of the Central Delhi Court Bar Association, who argued that Sonia Gandhi’s name appeared on the roll three years after her naturalization in 1983.
The magistrate, however, sidestepped the core legal question of whether the complaint disclosed a cognisable offence and instead focused on citizenship status, a diversion that Gogne deemed a legal misstep. He highlighted that the magistrate failed to weigh the twin options under law—registration of an FIR or proceeding under BNSS—thereby missing the procedural safeguards required for such a sensitive case.
The court’s ruling now sends the matter back to the magistrate, who must issue a reasoned order after hearing fresh arguments. The case is slated for further proceedings on September 29, 2026, where the magistrate will again decide whether to pursue criminal investigation or to focus on citizenship questions.
With the hearing date set, legal observers note the case could set a precedent for how electoral roll disputes involving senior politicians are handled, potentially influencing future challenges to the eligibility of prominent public figures.