The status of OCI foreigners who voted in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections is under scrutiny

The number of foreigners of Indian origin who voted fraudulently rose to 30. | Photo credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

The Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status of foreign nationals who voted in the recent Tamil Nadu assembly elections has come under scrutiny, official sources said on Tuesday (May 19, 2026).

The number of foreigners of Indian origin who voted fraudulently rose to 30.

Event planned

Their declaration while applying for OCI card that they have surrendered their voter ID card or deleted their name from the electoral rolls will be treated as a false statement and action will be taken as per law, sources said.

The OCI application form contains a clause which states that if it is found that the registration (as an OCI card holder) has been obtained by fraud, misrepresentation or concealment of any material fact, such person’s registration will be canceled forthwith and he will also be barred from entering India.

While the law enforcement agencies analyzed the details of the arrival and departure of foreign nationals of Indian origin in the last 30 days, those arrested in Chennai, Madurai and other places will not be allowed to return to their countries until the case is concluded.

injunction

However, they could travel after getting a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the relevant authority or an order from a designated court, sources said.

An analysis of foreigners who arrived in Tamil Nadu since 15 April 2026 revealed that a significant number of them were of Indian origin and had come to visit their families. “During summer vacations, at least 30-35% of foreign nationals coming to the state are OCI card holders. We are trying to find out how many of them exercised their right to vote and whether any particular group or agency facilitated or funded their participation in the elections,” a senior state police officer told The Hindu.

Crucial evidence

Acting on special intelligence, immigration officials in coordination with the state police arrested several foreigners who were about to board their countries from Chennai and Madurai. The indelible ink (sign of a cast ballot) found on their index fingers was crucial evidence to confirm that they had voted and sufficient grounds for their arrest or detention. Those arrested or detained for investigation were passport holders of Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Canada, Indonesia, Australia and other countries, the sources said.

The immigration authorities wrote to the police and handed the foreigners over to them. The foreigners were accused of cheating and breaching the provisions of the Representation of the People Act 1950.

Any false statement in the OCI application forms and in the forms provided under special intensive revision meant to weed out migrated or deceased voters would attract action under other provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), sources said.

Meanwhile, officials from several foreign missions were in touch with immigration authorities to check whether any of their nationals had been arrested for alleged fraudulent voting, the sources said.

Published – 19 May 2026 22:12 IST