Allahabad HC Orders FIR Against Rahul Gandhi on Citizenship Allegations

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on April 17, 2026, directed authorities to register a First Information Report against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over allegations that he holds British citizenship, potentially violating Indian laws on nationality and eligibility for public office.

Justice Subhash Vidyarthi issued the order while hearing a petition filed by S. Vignesh Shishir, a resident of Karnataka, who challenged a January 28, 2026, ruling by a special MP-MLA court in Lucknow. That lower court had dismissed Shishir's earlier plea for an FIR, stating it lacked jurisdiction over citizenship matters. The high court set aside the decision, ruling that the claims warranted a formal investigation. It instructed the Uttar Pradesh police at Kotwali station in Rae Bareli, Gandhi's parliamentary constituency, to lodge the FIR. The state government may then refer the probe to a central agency, such as the Central Bureau of Investigation, for further examination.

Shishir's petition accuses Gandhi, who serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and represents Rae Bareli, of declaring himself a British national in official documents related to Backops Limited, a...