Twenty-Five Foreign Nationals Detained For Illegal Voting In Tamil Nadu
Detentions occurred at airports as the individuals attempted to leave the country. Electoral cards have been seized
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Twenty-five foreign nationals were detained in Tamil Nadu after allegedly casting votes in the recent Assembly elections despite holding foreign citizenship. The detentions occurred primarily at airports as the individuals attempted to leave the country. Most of those held were Sri Lankan nationals, with others holding British, Canadian, and Indonesian passports. Authorities seized their Electors Photo Identity Cards, and legal proceedings have been initiated under relevant Indian laws.
According to The News Minute, the crackdown followed intelligence inputs alerting law enforcement to the possibility of foreign nationals engaging in electoral malpractice. Airport authorities were instructed to identify passengers with indelible ink marks on their fingers, a sign of recent voting. Most detentions took place at Chennai airport, and among those held were individuals identified as Ranjini, Sarfudeen, Nilanthi, Jeyanthan, Charlie Balachandran, Chakravarthy Logapriya, and Sunitha Chakravarthy, all Sri Lankan nationals.
As reported by Deccan Herald, the accused were intercepted at Chennai and Madurai airports after immigration officials noticed the ink marks. Legal action has been initiated under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Investigators found that the majority of suspects were Sri Lankan nationals, and two foreign nationals were identified as having voted in Puducherry.
Further details emerged that the operation began after discreet inquiries and that the accused had arrived in India shortly after the election was announced. They allegedly stayed back after polling, possibly waiting for the ink marks to fade before attempting to leave. The persons accused have been released on bail, and investigators are examining records of other foreign citizens who arrived before polling day and have not yet departed.
Authorities stated that retaining Indian voter ID cards after acquiring foreign citizenship is illegal. Under Indian law, only Indian citizens are eligible to vote, though Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) can register as overseas electors if they retain Indian citizenship and present an original Indian passport at polling stations. Those who have acquired citizenship of another country are not eligible to vote in Indian elections.
“Under Indian law, only Indian citizens are eligible to vote. Although Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) can register as overseas electors under Section 20A of the Representation of the People Act, they must continue to hold Indian citizenship and produce an original Indian passport at polling booths,” an official clarified.
In addition, investigations revealed that some of the accused had fraudulent address claims for voting rights. In 2025, immigration officials requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to remove about 100 names of foreigners of Indian origin from the electoral rolls. This year, 60 more names were removed for similar reasons.
Recent coverage revealed that the Election Commission conducted a special revision of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, resulting in the removal of over 74 lakh names in Tamil Nadu and more than 77,300 in Puducherry. The final voter list in Tamil Nadu now stands at 5.6 crore electors, while Puducherry’s electorate declined to 9.4 lakh.
Officials confirmed that the detained individuals included persons of Indian origin who had acquired foreign citizenship, such as a man who became a British citizen in 2015 and allegedly voted in the Pattukkottai Assembly constituency. He was intercepted at Chennai International Airport while attempting to board a flight to London.
“Cases have been registered against the accused under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and other applicable laws,” authorities stated.
At the end of the operation, officials submitted a comprehensive report to the Election Commission of India. Investigators continue to examine the possibility of additional foreign nationals having participated in the elections and are verifying the credentials of those who arrived during the election period.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.