Delhi court notice to Sonia, police on plea claiming 'forgery' in electoral roll inclusion
New Delhi (PTI): A Delhi court on Tuesday sought response from senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and the police on a plea challenging a magistrate's order refusing a probe on the allegation that she was included in the electoral rolls three years before acquiring Indian citizenship in 1983.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne was hearing a revision plea against the magisterial court's order of September 11, which had dismissed the plea, saying the complaint was "fashioned with the object of clothing the court with jurisdiction through allegations which are legally untenable, deficient in substance, and beyond the scope of this forum's authority".
Issuing notice to Gandhi and Delhi Police, Judge Gogne posted the matter on January 6 for further proceedings.
The revision plea was filed by advocate Vikas Tripathi, vice president of the Central Delhi Court Bar Association of the Rouse Avenue courts.
Tripathi's counsel, senior advocate Pavan Narang, had alleged before the magisterial court that in January 1980, Gandhi's name was added as a voter of the New Delhi constituency when she was not an Indian citizen.
He had claimed "some forgery" and a public authority being "cheated".
The magistrate, however, had dismissed the plea seeking a probe by holding that the complainant sought to set the criminal law in motion by persuading the court to assume jurisdiction, which did not vest in it legally.
He had observed "mere bald assertions, unaccompanied by the essential particulars required to attract the statutory elements of cheating or forgery" cannot substitute a legally sustainable accusation.
The plea, the magistrate had said, was merely relying upon an extract of the electoral roll, which was "a photocopy of a photocopy of an alleged extract of an uncertified electoral roll" of 1980.
Deprecating the complaint, the magistrate had said, "Such a course, in substance, amounts to a misuse of the process of law by projecting a civil or ordinary dispute in the garb of criminality, solely to create a jurisdiction where none exists."
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Himachal: Three killed, two injured as speeding car dashes against parked truck
Mandi (HP) (PTI): Three people were killed and two others sustained grievous injuries after a speeding car dashed against a stationary truck at Dadour near Nerchowk in Mandi district on Monday late at night, police said on Tuesday.
There were five people in the car when the tragedy struck. Three were declared dead in the hospital while two have been referred to AIIMS Bilaspur.
The deceased were identified as Anil Kumar (28), Rohit Kumar (26) and Subash Kumar (23), all residents of Mandi district, while the injured are Harish and Pankaj.
A case has been registered under relevant sections and investigations are underway, said Superintendent of Police (SP) Mandi Vinod Kumar.
He added that the bodies have been handed over to the family members of the deceased.
In a statement, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed grief over the loss of three lives in a road accident. He directed the district administration to ensure best possible treatment for the injured and wished them a speedy recovery.
