The Lucknow High Court has ordered the registration of a case against Rahul Gandhi. The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court issued this ruling in a case related to dual citizenship. The court stated that the state government should either conduct its own investigation or refer the matter to a central agency. However, these allegations are subject to investigation. The case reached the High Court after being dismissed by the Rae Bareli trial court. The Lucknow MP-MLA court stated that it was not competent to decide the citizenship issue.
The petitioner is a BJP worker from Karnataka. He sought the registration of an FIR against Rahul Gandhi and a detailed investigation into the matter. He has leveled several allegations against Gandhi under the Indian Penal Code, the Official Secrets Act, the Foreigners Act, and the Passport Act.
The complaint was initially filed in the Special MP-MLA Court in Rae Bareli, but on the petition of complainant Vignesh, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court transferred the criminal complaint case from Rae Bareli to Lucknow on December 17, 2025. The Lucknow MP-MLA court dismissed the petition on January 28, 2026, against which the petitioner approached the High Court.
In the citizenship case of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the petitioner has argued that he has all the documents and certain emails from the British government, which prove that Rahul Gandhi is a British citizen.
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court will hear the dual citizenship case of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on April 21. The Home Ministry had requested eight weeks to file a report, but the High Court granted them four weeks.
In fact, on July 1, 2024, Karnataka lawyer and BJP member S. Vignesh Shishir filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court alleging that Rahul Gandhi holds British citizenship.
The petitioner made this allegation against Rahul Gandhi citing a confidential email from the British government dated 2022. Vignesh Shishir had sought the revocation of Rahul Gandhi’s Indian citizenship under Section 9(2) of the Indian Citizenship Act, 1955. The court had sought a response from the central government on these claims.
On Monday, the Lucknow bench of the High Court granted the central government more time to submit its response to a petition filed against Rahul Gandhi. The petition seeks the cancellation of his 2024 parliamentary election due to alleged concealment of his British citizenship.
While hearing the petition in November last year, the court had sought information from the central government regarding its decision on the petitioner’s petition. Subsequently, the central government’s lawyer informed the bench that, acting on the petitioner’s petition, the relevant ministry had written to the UK government seeking detailed information regarding Rahul Gandhi’s alleged British citizenship. He stated that the government needs time to take a final decision on the petitioner’s petition seeking the cancellation of Gandhi’s parliamentary election. The lawyer explained that this is why the central government has repeatedly requested more time.
In the petition, Vignesh Shishir stated that Rahul Gandhi’s election from the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat this year should be annulled due to his alleged concealment of his British citizenship. The petitioner argued that he possesses all the documents and emails from the British government that prove Rahul Gandhi is a British citizen. Consequently, he is ineligible to contest elections in India and cannot hold the position of a Lok Sabha member.
Vignesh Shishir also stated in the petition that he had twice submitted complaints to the competent authority regarding his dual citizenship, but since no action was taken, he has filed the current petition. The petition states that Rahul Gandhi’s dual citizenship constitutes a crime under the Indian Penal Code and the Passport Act, and therefore, the CBI should be ordered to register a case and investigate it.