BJP workers behind dual citizenship plea against Rahul Gandhi accused in fraud case

A businessman from Bengaluru, Vignesh Shishir, who filed a case about Rahul Gandhi’s alleged dual citizenship, is now reportedly facing serious fraud allegations in Karnataka. For the past two years, Shishir has been trying to get courts in Uttar Pradesh to order a police investigation into claims that Gandhi also holds British citizenship. 

The matter recently came into the spotlight when the Allahabad High Court modified an earlier order related to the case. Soon after, Judge Subhash Vidyarthi stepped away from the case after Shishir made comments about him on social media.

Now, two major fraud cases against Shishir have raised questions. The first case, filed in 2016, reportedly involves alleged embezzlement of around ₹9.6 crore. According to investigators, the money was taken from a private company and transferred through different firms linked to Shishir and his family. Officials reportedly said that Shishir received a large portion of these funds through business accounts connected to small hydro power projects. A special court refused to dismiss the case in 2025, stating there was enough evidence for trial, as per reports.

In another case from 2018, Shishir is reportedly accused of cheating a differently abled woman in a land deal worth ₹3.36 crore. Police claim he and his associates misused a joint bank account and moved the money into companies linked to him. The court has also allowed this case to go to trial, as per reports.

Although Shishir describes himself as a BJP worker, leaders in Karnataka have reportedly denied his role in the party.