A 67-year-old Indian-origin retired dentist in California has been charged in a US election fraud case after allegedly registering to vote and participating in the 2024 presidential election despite being a permanent resident rather than a US citizen.

Kamlesh Navnitlal Shah has said he did not know he was legally barred from voting and believed officials had allowed him to register. His case is among a wider federal crackdown on alleged noncitizen voting in California, where authorities have charged 28 people under an initiative called Operation Protect the Vote, according to reports.

Shah, who reportedly suffered a serious accident five to six years ago and spent six months in a coma, said he was confused about the registration process. He told reporters that he had accompanied his blind roommate to a community centre to vote and presented his identification and Social Security card when asked.

“I showed them the ID and my Social Security card. They did something…I don’t remember…it was a long time ago,” Shah said, according to The Times of India.

“I thought I was registering to vote. I didn’t know about my pending citizenship. I thought I must be a citizen. I had no idea I wasn’t,” he added, claiming nobody had told him that permanent residents were not eligible to vote in federal elections.

Shah’s account has not been established as a legal defence, and the allegations against him remain subject to the criminal justice process. His claim that he did not understand the rules does not, by itself, determine whether he committed an offence.

Federal crackdown targets alleged noncitizen voting

The US Justice Department has described Operation Protect the Vote as a coordinated effort involving all four US Attorney’s offices based in California to investigate and prosecute alleged election fraud.

According to the reported federal allegations, 28 people have been charged, including 11 foreign nationals identified in connection with the investigation. Federal agents arrested 11 people, according to U.S. Assistant Attorney Bill Essayli.

“Elections belong to American citizens,” Essayli said. “Even if one noncitizen votes in an election, that is a violation of the constitutional rights of every voter in California who has a legal right to have their vote be counted equally and not diluted by noncitizens.”

Another Indian national named in the reported case is Amandeep Kaur, 30, a resident of Rancho Palos Verdes. According to the allegations, Kaur registered to vote in December 2022 and voted in the November 2024 election while seeking US citizenship.

The charges reportedly include making false statements in naturalisation applications and fraudulent voter registration. Federal prosecutors say the offences carry a maximum prison sentence of five years, although the precise potential penalty depends on the specific charge, applicable law and outcome of the case.

The distinction between an allegation and a conviction is important. Being named in the investigation or charged with an offence does not establish guilt, and each defendant is entitled to contest the allegations in court.

California ballot dispute adds political dimension

The cases have also become part of a wider dispute between the federal government and California over voter eligibility and election administration.

According to the reported federal account, the government supplied California officials with a list of individuals whose citizenship status it questioned and sought to have their mail-in ballots set aside pending verification. California declined to assist with the proposed action, prompting the federal government to file a lawsuit seeking judicial intervention.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter defended the federal initiative, arguing that voting by ineligible individuals undermines the electoral rights of citizens.

“Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen,” McCotter said, according to the reported statement.

The administration also said the 28 defendants appeared on a list of more than 20,000 people it described as likely noncitizen registrants. That figure represents the government’s stated concern, not a judicial finding that all the individuals voted illegally or committed fraud.

The dispute highlights the tension between federal efforts to enforce election laws and state authority over voter registration and election administration. Establishing whether an individual is a citizen, whether that person registered or voted, and whether the conduct violated criminal law requires case-specific evidence.

For Indian permanent residents in the United States, Shah’s case underscores a basic legal distinction: lawful permanent residence, commonly known as holding a Green Card, does not confer the right to vote in federal elections. That right generally belongs to US citizens, subject to applicable registration and voting requirements.

The case also raises questions about the safeguards used during voter registration and the responsibility of applicants to understand eligibility rules. Shah’s claim that he misunderstood the process will need to be assessed against the evidence and the charges brought against him.

The broader investigation is likely to remain politically contentious as federal and California authorities contest how suspected noncitizen registrations should be identified and handled. The outcome of the individual prosecutions and the related lawsuit will be important in determining the legal consequences of the allegations and the scope of the federal government’s demands.