Trichy: A Sri Lankan national was apprehended at Trichy airport on Friday on allegations of casting a vote in the recently concluded Tamil Nadu assembly elections. The accused, identified as Natarajah, 66, a resident of KK Nagar in Trichy, arrived at the Trichy Airport from Colombo at approximately 4:15 pm on Friday.
Immigration Check Reveals OCI Status and Voting
During the immigration verification process, officials discovered that Natarajah held Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status and had exercised his franchise in the recently held elections in the Trichy East assembly constituency. Following this, he had traveled to Sri Lanka.
Arrest and Legal Action
On Friday, the KK Nagar police took Natarajah into custody based on a complaint filed by immigration officials. A case was registered under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which deals with illegal voting. Additionally, the police invoked Sections 318(2) and 337 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), pertaining to cheating and forgery of official documents.
The incident highlights the scrutiny applied during immigration checks to prevent electoral fraud and uphold the integrity of the electoral process. Further investigation is underway to determine the full extent of the violation.
