According to officials, the action was taken based on instructions issued by the Election Commission of India. Immigration authorities at airports were directed to inspect passengers travelling overseas after polling day and check for indelible ink marks on their fingers.

Under the Indian law, only Indian citizens are eligible to vote in Parliamentary, Assembly and local body elections. Indians living abroad with valid Indian passports and Non-Resident Indian status are permitted to vote only if their names are on the rolls. However, Indians who acquire foreign citizenship and surrender their Indian passports lose their eligibility to vote in India.

Ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections on April 23, a large number of Tamils from abroad arrived in the state via airports in Chennai, Tiruchy, Coimbatore and Madurai. According to officials, this has been a common trend during major elections, but the arrival of overseas travellers this year was unusually high, drawing the Election Commission’s suspicion.
Following this, confidential instructions were issued to immigration authorities at major airports in the state to monitor outbound international passengers on the day following the polling day and identify foreign citizens who had voted in the elections.

Immigration officials at the Chennai International Airport found that 15 overseas residents of Indian origin, including a woman, had voted in violation of election regulations. Officials said the individuals had cast votes in polling booths across Chennai city, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Villupuram districts.

In all, 17 people were stopped at Chennai and Madurai airports and were handed over to the police.