The move is seen as part of broader efforts by authorities to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process, particularly during high-stakes civic elections in major metropolitan centres like Mumbai
Ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections scheduled for January 15, with results due the following day, immigration authorities at Mumbai International Airport have intensified checks on arriving passengers, leading to the detection of 28 non-resident Indians (NRIs) allegedly carrying Indian voter identity cards despite holding foreign citizenship.
Over the past two months, immigration officials have been on high alert in view of the upcoming civic polls, closely scrutinising passports and supporting documents at immigration counters. During this period, 28 individuals were intercepted after officials found that they possessed Indian voter ID cards even though they were citizens of other countries. India does not permit dual citizenship, and foreign citizens are not eligible to be enrolled as voters in Indian elections.
According to immigration department sources, most of those flagged are citizens of countries such as Canada, the United States, Australia and Nepal. The voter ID cards recovered from them have been seized, and details of the cases have been forwarded to the Election Commission of India (ECI), which has begun the process of cancelling the registrations.
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Officials said several of the individuals had allegedly obtained voter ID cards by providing incorrect or misleading information to election authorities
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Many NRIs have close family ties in India and travel frequently on long-term or visa-free permits
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Investigators believe some used the addresses of relatives in India and falsely declared themselves as residents to secure voter ID cards
An immigration official said that passengers identified as NRIs were subjected to additional questioning and document verification. “During routine immigration screening, some passengers produced Indian voter ID cards. Once their nationality was verified and found to be foreign, the cards were confiscated and the cases were formally reported,” the official said.
Authorities clarified that while NRIs and foreign citizens of Indian origin may legally hold Aadhaar and Permanent Account Number (PAN) cards for financial and administrative purposes, they are not entitled to voter ID cards or the right to vote in Indian elections. Holding or using an Indian voter ID after acquiring foreign citizenship is considered a serious violation of election laws.
Immigration officials have now shared the relevant information with both the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) section and the Election Commission. The ECI is expected to formally cancel the voter ID cards and take further action as per the law.
