The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued an urgent communication to Tamil Nadu's Chief Electoral Officer, revealing that a Sri Lankan national arrested in a sensitive NIA case linked to LTTE revival attempts continues to maintain an active voter ID registered in Chennai.
Fraudulent Documents and Security Breach
In a formal communication dated November 21, the ED disclosed that the accused, Letchumanan Mary Franciska, had fraudulently obtained multiple Indian identity documents despite being a citizen of Sri Lanka. The documents included a ration-linked rental agreement, PAN card, Aadhaar card, voter ID, and remarkably, an Indian passport.
Franciska's activities came under scrutiny when she was intercepted at Chennai airport in 2021 while attempting to travel using the fraudulently obtained Indian passport. Subsequent investigations conducted by the Q branch of the Tamil Nadu police and later taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) uncovered that she had overstayed in India after initially arriving on an e-tourist visa in December 2019.
LTTE Connections and Financial Fraud Attempt
According to the chargesheet filed by the NIA, Franciska was acting under the directions of Denmark-based LTTE cadre Umakanthan, with the clear objective of reviving LTTE networks and providing support to LTTE-aligned families. Her operations took a more serious turn when she attempted to falsely present herself as a legal heir of an Indian citizen to withdraw a staggering amount of Rs 42.28 crore from a Mumbai bank account.
Investigators confirmed that Franciska was apprehended before she could successfully access the substantial funds. She currently remains in judicial custody and is facing trial for her involvement in these serious security breaches.
Ongoing Electoral Security Concerns
The ED's communication to the Chief Electoral Officer highlighted a significant ongoing concern: Franciska continues to remain listed as an active voter in the Virugambakkam assembly constituency. To substantiate their claim, the agency attached screenshots from the Election Commission portal clearly showing her voter entry still active in the system.
The enforcement agency has formally sought immediate verification and subsequent cancellation of the fraudulently obtained voter ID, emphasizing the critical need to secure India's electoral process from such security breaches. This case has raised serious questions about document verification processes and the potential vulnerabilities in India's identity document issuance system.
