Two foreigners booked for voting in elections Two foreign residents have been booked for casting votes in the recently concluded Tamil Nadu assembly elections. The individuals were intercepted by immigration officials at Chennai airport while attempting to leave the country. On May 17, a 37-year-old Sri Lankan resident named M Salmon Parsh, who resides in Pon Nagar, Trichy, was stopped at Chennai airport around 10 p.m. during an immigration check. Officials discovered that Parsh had voted in the Trichy West constituency at Seva Sangam Higher Secondary School, located on William’s Road, Cantonment. Similarly, on May 10, a 59-year-old Malaysian resident named V Ranjani, who lives in Thillai Nagar, Trichy, was intercepted while heading to Malaysia. An inquiry revealed that Ranjani had cast her vote at KAPV Higher Secondary School in Thillai Nagar. Chennai police initially registered zero FIRs under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which addresses illegal voting. They also invoked Sections 318(2) and 337 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for cheating and forgery of official documents. Due to jurisdictional considerations, both cases were later transferred to the local police stations in Trichy for further investigation. The incidents highlight the strict enforcement of electoral laws in Tamil Nadu, where unauthorized voting is considered a serious offense. The arrests underscore the authorities’ commitment to maintaining the integrity of the electoral process, even in cases involving foreign nationals. The two individuals’ actions reportedly violated the Representation of the People Act, which prohibits non-citizens from participating in elections.#tamil_nadu #chennai_airport #salmon_parsh #trichy_west_constituency #seva_sangam_higher_secondary_school
