Imran Khan to Challenge Leave India Notice in Bombay High Court

The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) has directed actor Imran Khan, a US citizen and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder, to leave India by October 28.

The notice follows his participation in a protest at Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan on October 10, demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

Khan’s lawyer, Zulfikar Memon, plans to challenge the order in the Bombay High Court, with the petition expected to be filed on October 16 or October 19.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had complained to the police about Khan’s participation in the demonstration.

Khan’s lawyer has argued that OCI cardholders are not prohibited from participating in protests, while the FRRO’s position is that his OCI status does not permit such participation.

The demonstration was part of wider protests over the Election Commission’s handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Imran Khan to Challenge Leave India Notice in Bombay High Court

Actor Imran Khan, a US citizen and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder, will challenge an order directing him to leave India by October 28 after he participated in a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. His lawyer, Zulfikar Memon, is preparing to move the Bombay High Court against the notice issued by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Mumbai.

The order, issued on October 15, followed Khan’s participation in a demonstration at Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan on October 10. The protest, organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), called for Kumar’s resignation over concerns about the Election Commission’s handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Khan, who was detained during the demonstration and later released, has maintained that he attended as an individual resident of Mumbai rather than as a representative of any organisation.

Lawyer to challenge order in Bombay High Court

Khan’s advocate, Zulfikar Memon, intends to file a petition challenging the notice, with the filing expected on October 16 or October 19.

The action followed a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kirit Somaiya, who approached the police seeking an inquiry into the actor’s participation in the protest despite his US citizenship and OCI status.

The police forwarded the complaint to the FRRO, which issued the notice directing Khan to leave the country. The action was taken under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. Section 7 of the legislation empowers the Central Government to issue directions regulating or restricting the entry, departure, presence or movement of foreign nationals in India.

The FRRO’s position, as reported in the supplied coverage, is that holding an OCI card does not permit Khan to participate in protests. His lawyer, however, has argued that the rules do not prohibit OCI cardholders from taking part in demonstrations.

The legal challenge is expected to contest the order. The available reports do not establish the outcome of any court proceedings.

Imran Khan says he attended as a Mumbai resident

During the October 10 demonstration, Khan said he was present as an individual rather than on behalf of an organisation.

“I am here as a citizen, as a person who lives in this city,” he said. “I am here to see why freedom of movement is being restricted. Why are people’s voices being suppressed?”

Khan’s partner, Lekha Washington, and his cousin Zayn Marie Khan were also detained during the incident. Washington later alleged on social media that uniformed officers grabbed her and Zayn, leaving them with bruises, before taking them away in a vehicle.

She also claimed that they were driven around for a couple of hours and subsequently prevented from using public transport. These allegations were made in her account of the incident.

After their release, Imran Khan shared a photograph from inside a police van, accompanying it with the remark, “Apparently I’m going for a drive.”

Washington later posted another photograph of herself with Khan from the vehicle, adding a series of heart emojis. Zayn also shared a picture of the three embracing. Filmmaker Kiran Rao and actor Saba Azad were among those reported to have expressed support for Khan.

Political reactions to the notice

Somaiya welcomed the police action after seeking an inquiry into Khan’s participation in the demonstration.

“All such foreign citizens, persons using foreign fund to create anarchy in India should face such action,” he said.

Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi, who heads the party’s Maharashtra unit, opposed the decision. He argued that Khan’s connection to India should be taken into account despite his foreign nationality and criticised the order requiring him to leave the country.

The competing reactions reflect the dispute over the actor’s participation in the protest and the restrictions applicable to foreign nationals holding OCI status.

Protest centred on Election Commission’s electoral roll revision

The demonstration against Gyanesh Kumar was part of wider protests in several parts of India over the Election Commission’s functioning and its implementation of the SIR exercise.

The current round of protests was triggered by a September 23 investigation published by The Indian Express. It reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally objected 14 times over 10 months to decisions concerning the revision exercise, saying some had been taken without their knowledge.

The SIR, which began in June 2025, has faced questions about its implementation and pace, amid concerns that eligible voters could be excluded from electoral rolls.

In May, the Supreme Court upheld the legality of the exercise while clarifying that this did not give the Election Commission the authority to determine whether an individual was an Indian citizen.

The next reported step in Khan’s case is the proposed petition in the Bombay High Court challenging the order to leave India by October 28.