Indian man charged in US over false citizenship claim to vote in 2024 election

An Indian national has been indicted in Minnesota for allegedly claiming US citizenship to vote in the 2024 election. The case underscores renewed scrutiny over voter eligibility and election integrity in the United States.Stock photo used for illustrationAn Indian national has been charged in the US for allegedly falsely claiming to be an American citizen in order to vote in the 2024 general election. Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari has been indicted over the alleged false claim linked to the November 5, 2024 election.The US Justice Department said a federal grand jury in the District of Minnesota returned a two-count indictment on Thursday. It said Chaudhari was charged with knowingly making a false claim of United States citizenship to vote in the election.According to the indictment, on or about November 5, 2024, Chaudhari signed the voter signature certificate required under Minnesota law in order to vote in the general election. The certificate required him to swear or affirm that he was a citizen of the United States.The indictment alleges that Chaudhari was not a US citizen and that he knowingly made the false citizenship statement in order to vote. He has been charged with one count of false information and one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to register to vote. "The right to vote is a sacred privilege of American citizenship, and every lawful voter deserves an election system in which that right is protected," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said. "The department will hold accountable those who knowingly make false claims of citizenship in order to vote. The integrity of our elections depends on ensuring that only eligible citizens cast ballots and that every lawful vote is counted," Dhillon said.If convicted, Chaudhari faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count, according to the Justice Department. The case centres on allegations that he falsely claimed US citizenship while signing the voter certificate and voting in the 2024 general election. With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 11, 2026 04:24 IST