07 January,2026 09:28 PM IST | Mumbai | Shirish Vaktania
Immigration officials seized the voter ID cards and informed the Election Commission of India. Representation pic/istock
Ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, immigration officials at Mumbai International Airport have intercepted around 28 non-resident Indians over the past two months for allegedly carrying Indian voter ID cards despite holding foreign citizenship.
Immigration officials seized the voter ID cards and informed the Election Commission of India, which has initiated the process to cancel them. Most of those caught are citizens of countries such as Canada, the United States, Nepal, and Australia.
The BMC elections are scheduled to be held on January 15, with results to be declared on January 16. Immigration officials said they have stepped up checks at Mumbai International Airport over the past two months in view of the polls.
A source from the Immigration Department told mid-day, "Our teams are deployed at Mumbai International Airport to check passports and documents at immigration counters. We have been specifically alert about checking voter ID cards carried by NRIs, as they are not eligible to vote since they are no longer Indian citizens."
Most of those caught are citizens of countries such as Canada, the United States, Nepal, and Australia
According to officials, several NRIs allegedly obtained voter ID cards by submitting false information to the Election Commission of India. "Many of them have family members residing in India and visit the country frequently on visa-free or long-term visas. They provided their relatives' addresses and declared themselves as residents of India to obtain voter ID cards," the source said.
Another immigration official added that over the past two months, officers have questioned passengers identified as NRIs and verified their documents in detail. "During these checks, we seized around 28 Indian voter ID cards from different passengers," the official said.
Officials explained that NRIs are not entitled to voter ID cards, even though they may legally hold Aadhaar and PAN cards. "These individuals were allegedly voting in their countries of citizenship and attempting to vote in India as well, which is a serious violation," the source said.
Immigration officials said the voter ID cards were detected during routine immigration checks. "Passengers arriving at the airport are screened at immigration counters. When NRIs were questioned, some produced Indian voter ID cards. After verifying their nationality and records, the cards were confiscated and reported," the official said.
Immigration authorities have now forwarded the details of the cases to the Overseas Citizen of India section and the Election Commission of India, following which the voter ID cards will be cancelled.
Midday tried to contact Suresh Kakani, Secretary of the State Election Commission, but he was unavailable for a comment.
https://www.mid-day.com/bmc-election/
https://www.mid-day.com/bmc-election/know-your-ward
