Madras High Court denies relief to Sri Lankan man for voting in Tamil Nadu elections

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has denied relief to a Sri Lankan citizen who sought permission to return to Colombo following a criminal case registered against him for voting in the recent Tamil Nadu assembly elections.

The petitioner, Jeya Ananthan, was born in Tirunelveli but moved to Sri Lanka in 2003, where he acquired citizenship. While visiting Tamil Nadu for his mother's surgery, he discovered his name remained on the electoral roll and cast a vote.

Justice Victoria Gowri ruled that a foreign national cannot claim electoral rights reserved for citizens simply because their name erroneously remains on an electoral roll. The court also declined to issue a direction allowing the petitioner to travel without impediments, noting that such an order would disable the functions of investigating and immigration authorities.