17 foreigners detained at Madurai and Chennai airports’ immigration checks for voting in assembly elections

Chennai: Even as Election Commission of India carried out special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, at least 17 foreign nationals were detained at Chennai and Madurai airports for allegedly casting their votes in the recently held Tamil Nadu assembly elections. Immigration officials detained them after noticing the indelible ink marks on their fingers during passport checks.While 15 of them were apprehended at Chennai airport over the past few days when they were about to return to their respective countries, two were detained at Madurai airport, said sources in the immigration department. The flyers, who were natives of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, had acquired foreign citizenship. They were handed over to the respective crime branches of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry police. Chennai police's crime control bureau additional commissioner A Radhika confirmed that FIRs were registered under the Representation of the People Act and other sections, based on complaints from the Foreigners' Regional Registration Office, Chennai. "Cases against the individuals have also been registered where they stayed and cast their votes," the officer said. Police said the individuals were enlarged on bail. The foreign nationals being able to vote despite the SIR came as a shock, they added. Chief electoral officer Archana Patnaik was not available for comment.