5 hours ago
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After detecting astir 40 cases of overseas nationals of Indian root allegedly voting successful the caller Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, investigators person shifted their absorption to those who returned overseas soon aft the April 23 polling.
According to authoritative sources, Central and State law-enforcement agencies are moving with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to get information connected suspected overseas nationals who mightiness person voted successful the election. Investigators person sought the assistance of the Bureau of Immigration, Government of India, successful identifying overseas nationals who arrived successful the State up of the predetermination and departed wrong 2 to 3 days of polling.
Social media posts being scrutinised
The authorities are besides scrutinising societal media posts and videos successful which individuals claimed to person travelled to Chennai, Bengaluru, and different cities, specifically to workout franchise.
“It is imaginable to verify whether these individuals voted successful the Assembly election. If they did, it would magnitude to cheating and usurpation of provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. We are besides examining however their names were not removed from the electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). If a elector is falsely shown to beryllium residing successful India, enactment volition beryllium taken against those liable for making the mendacious declaration,” a elder State authorities authoritative told The Hindu on Monday.
The archetypal lawsuit of alleged amerciable voting came to airy successful the 2nd week of May erstwhile a mates were questioned by migration officials astatine the Madurai airport portion preparing to committee a formation to Colombo. Questioned astir the indelible ink marks connected their fingers, they admitted to having voted successful the predetermination utilizing their Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPICs). They were subsequently handed implicit to the Avaniapuram police.
‘False declaration’
In different case, a United Kingdom nationalist of Indian root was detained astatine the Chennai airdrome aft admitting that helium had voted successful the Velachery constituency. He was handed implicit to the section constabulary for further investigation.
“During the SIR, household members look to person filled the enumeration signifier and signed it connected behalf of the overseas national. This would magnitude to a mendacious declaration. Proceedings volition beryllium initiated done due channels against the individuals who voted and past near the country,” the authoritative said.
Apart from prosecution for fraudulent voting, overseas nationals recovered to person voted successful the predetermination could look cancellation of their Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards, the authoritative said. He added that immoderate determination connected the validity of the votes formed by overseas nationals successful the Assembly predetermination would person to beryllium taken by the ECI.
