Following the recently concluded Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, immigration authorities and police have reportedly intensified scrutiny over foreign passport holders accused of illegally voting in the state using old Indian voter identity cards, as reported in Daily Thanthi.
The development comes after the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by Joseph Vijay, emerged as the single largest party and formed the government in Tamil Nadu, with Vijay assuming office as Chief Minister after proving majority support in the Assembly.
According to reports, an unusually large number of overseas Indians travelled to Tamil Nadu during the election period to cast their votes. Suspecting possible electoral irregularities, the Election Commission is said to have discreetly alerted immigration authorities at airports to monitor individuals returning abroad after polling.
Based on the instructions, immigration officials at airports including Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore and Madurai reportedly began closely examining passengers travelling overseas. Authorities specifically checked passengers’ fingers for indelible ink marks used during voting.
Officials reportedly subjected individuals with voting ink marks to detailed questioning. During the inquiry, authorities allegedly found that several persons holding foreign citizenship had cast votes in Tamil Nadu using old Indian voter identity cards, despite no longer being legally eligible to vote in India.
Such individuals were reportedly identified, and details regarding the constituencies where they voted were collected before they were handed over to the respective local police stations for legal action. Cases were registered against them, and they were later released on conditional bail after arrest procedures.
In one such case, immigration officials at Madurai Airport intercepted a couple from the Thiruvadanai region of Ramanathapuram district while they were preparing to travel to Sri Lanka.
The couple, identified as 65-year-old Mohamed Subair and his wife Ahana Beevi, aged 56, allegedly had indelible ink marks on their fingers. During document verification, officials reportedly found that both had obtained Sri Lankan citizenship. However, the inquiry allegedly revealed that they had voted in the Thiruvadanai Assembly constituency during the Tamil Nadu elections.
Following the discovery, the couple was handed over to the Avaniyapuram Police. Police registered a case against them, arrested them and later released them on conditional bail.
Subscribe to our channels on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and YouTube to get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
