Foreign Citizens Arrested for Illegal Voting in Tamil Nadu Elections

A major election related fraud case has surfaced in Tamil Nadu after police arrested nearly 25 people accused of illegally voting despite holding foreign citizenship. The accused were reportedly detained at international airports while preparing to fly back overseas after participating in the state election process.

According to investigators, the suspects used Indian voter identification cards even after acquiring citizenship in countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Sri Lanka. Officials said the arrests were made at Chennai and Madurai international airports following intelligence inputs and immigration checks.

Police revealed that many of the accused had travelled to Tamil Nadu only after the election announcement and allegedly planned to remain in India until the indelible ink mark faded from their fingers. Authorities believe the group intended to avoid suspicion before returning abroad.

The investigation found that illegal voting allegedly took place in constituencies including Pattukkottai, Perambur, and KK Nagar. Officials also identified two similar cases in neighbouring Puducherry, raising concerns about wider misuse of voter identity documents.

One of the most notable arrests involved a man who had obtained British citizenship in 2015. Despite no longer being eligible to vote as an Indian citizen, he allegedly cast his vote in the Pattukkottai constituency before attempting to board a flight to London from Chennai airport.

Authorities have registered cases against the accused under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 and the Representation of the People Act 1950. Officials stressed that possessing and using Indian voter documents after accepting foreign nationality is considered a serious legal offence.

Police teams are continuing the investigation to identify whether more foreign citizens participated in illegal voting activities during the Tamil Nadu elections.