This is a follow-up to our October 10 reporting, Over 3,000 Detained as CJP Delhi Protest Spills to Mumbai. The new development: five days after his detention, Mumbai's Foreigners Regional Registration Office has ordered the actor to leave the country.
Mumbai Police have told Bollywood actor Imran Khan, an American national and nephew of superstar Aamir Khan, to leave India by October 28. The Imran Khan Leave India notice, issued on Thursday by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), accuses the actor of violating the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, by joining a political protest in Mumbai five days earlier. His lawyers say he will challenge the order in the Bombay High Court.
What the Imran Khan Leave India notice says
The formal "Leave India Notice" was served on Khan, and he has received a copy, police said on Thursday. It directs him to depart the country by October 28, with further administrative procedures underway. According to the Times of India, the case is being handled by DCP Samay Munde of the FRRO.
The police case rests on one fact: Khan is not an Indian citizen. He holds US citizenship and an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, and he took part in a political demonstration. "Foreign nationals are prohibited from participating in political protests or political activities on Indian soil," a police official told the Times of India. A senior officer told The Hindu that suo motu action had been initiated — while denying the move was based on any private complaint.
The October 10 protest at August Kranti Maidan
The notice traces back to Saturday, October 10, when Khan joined an agitation at August Kranti Maidan. The demonstrators were demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the electoral-roll revision. Police briefly took the actor into custody during the demonstration and released him later. Khan posted a photo from inside a police van with the caption: "Apparently, I'm going for a drive."
The Mumbai protest was held in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), whose banned Delhi demonstration the same day drew a huge police crackdown — Delhi Police had denied the CJP permission for its Jantar Mantar gathering a day earlier. In Mumbai, police detained more than 400 people at August Kranti Maidan, including Khan.
Bombay High Court challenge: what Khan's lawyers say
Khan is not going quietly. His lawyers — Zulfiquar Memon, Parvez Memon and Chirag Naik of MZM Legal — told the Indian Express they are "in a process of filing the petition against the FRRO notice," and that it is likely to be registered by Friday or by Monday. Once registered, the plea is likely to come up before a division bench led by Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi, with the lawyers seeking an urgent hearing.
The actor has called the FRRO notice a "drastic action." His legal team contends that the Foreigners Act and OCI rules do not prohibit a person from participating in protests. The Indian Express reports Khan had earlier said he was not against any political party and had only stood for citizens' fundamental right to protest.
What the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, says
The 2025 Act replaced the Foreigners Act of 1946 and governs the entry, stay and removal of foreign nationals. The Hindu reports the action against Khan was initiated under Section 7, which codifies the central government's broad powers to restrict a foreigner's movement within India — including their departure and continued presence.
The Indian Express notes that Section 29 gives the central government "reasonable powers" to direct the removal of a foreigner for contravening the Act. The OCI scheme, introduced in 2005, grants foreign nationals of Indian origin a lifelong visa — but no right to vote or contest elections — and OCI cardholders remain subject to India's foreigners and immigration laws.
Police insist the law is clear: under its provisions, a senior officer told The Hindu, foreign nationals do not have the fundamental right to protest or participate in political activities in India. Khan's lawyers dispute that reading. That clash is now headed for the Bombay High Court.
How the politics split: complaint trail vs opposition
The complaint trail itself is disputed. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya approached the Gamdevi police station on Monday, seeking action against Khan for joining the anti-CEC protest despite being a foreign citizen, and later said he had also complained to the FRRO immigration division. The Times of India reports Gamdevi police forwarded his application to the FRRO. Somaiya claimed Khan's conduct showed "extremism, fanaticism" and is scheduled to meet Union Home Ministry officials in Delhi on Thursday evening.
But police told The Hindu the action was suo motu and denied it was based on any private complaint — an account at odds with the complaint-forwarding trail reported by the Times of India and the Indian Express.
The opposition called the notice an overreach. NCP (SP) parliamentarian Supriya Sule said everyone has the right to protest: "Nobody throws them out of the country." Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said: "If he has been asked to leave for supporting the young generation, then the government is scared."
Why it matters
The case turns an abstract legal question into a live test: does the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, bar OCI cardholders — millions of people of Indian origin living in India — from joining a street protest? The answer will ripple well beyond one actor.
The timing adds weight. The notice landed five days after the October 10 crackdown on the CJP-led agitation, an episode that has already drawn international commentary and a domestic storm over the CEC and the electoral-roll revision. Whether the FRRO's move reads as routine immigration enforcement or political retaliation is now the central dispute — and the Bombay High Court gets the first word.
What happens next
Watch three dates. Khan's lawyers expect their petition to be registered by Friday or Monday, and they want an urgent hearing before a division bench led by Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi. Somaiya meets Union Home Ministry officials in Delhi on Thursday evening. And October 28 is the deadline in the notice — unless a court intervenes first.
Key Takeaways
- Mumbai's FRRO has ordered actor Imran Khan, a US citizen and OCI cardholder, to leave India by October 28 over his October 10 protest participation.
- Police cite the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, saying foreign nationals cannot join political protests; Khan's lawyers dispute that reading.
- Khan joined the August Kranti Maidan agitation demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation; he was briefly detained and later released.
- His lawyers (MZM Legal) will file a Bombay High Court petition, likely registered by Friday or Monday, seeking an urgent hearing.
- BJP's Kirit Somaiya filed the complaint; police told The Hindu the action was suo motu — the two accounts conflict.
- The opposition calls the notice an overreach; the case will test the 2025 Act's protest provisions for OCI cardholders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Imran Khan?
Imran Khan is a Bollywood actor and the nephew of superstar Aamir Khan. He has acted in several Indian films. He is an American national and an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder — not an Indian citizen — which is central to the notice issued against him.
Why was actor Imran Khan asked to leave India?
Mumbai's Foreigners Regional Registration Office issued him a Leave India Notice on October 15, directing him to depart by October 28. Police say that by joining the October 10 political protest at August Kranti Maidan despite being a foreign national, he violated the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. The actor has received a copy of the notice.
What happened at the October 10 protest?
Khan joined an agitation at Mumbai's August Kranti Maidan demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the electoral-roll revision. Police briefly took him into custody during the demonstration and released him. He later posted a photo from inside a police van captioned: "Apparently, I'm going for a drive."
What is a Leave India Notice, and what is the FRRO?
A Leave India Notice directs a foreign national to depart the country. It is issued by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office, the authority that regulates foreigners' stay in India. In Khan's case, the Mumbai FRRO acted under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 — reportedly invoking the central government's powers under Section 7 to restrict a foreigner's continued presence.
Can foreign nationals and OCI cardholders protest in India?
Police say no: a senior officer told The Hindu that under the Act, foreign nationals do not have the fundamental right to protest or participate in political activities in India. Khan's lawyers disagree, contending the Foreigners Act and OCI rules do not prohibit protest participation. The Bombay High Court will now weigh both readings.
Will Imran Khan challenge the notice in court?
Yes. His lawyers — Zulfiquar Memon, Parvez Memon and Chirag Naik of MZM Legal — say a petition against the FRRO notice is being filed and will likely be registered by Friday or Monday. They expect it to come up before a division bench led by Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and will seek an urgent hearing.
What did Kirit Somaiya allege against Imran Khan?
The BJP leader approached Gamdevi police station on Monday, alleging Khan's protest participation violated OCI rules despite his foreign citizenship. He later said he also complained to the FRRO and will meet Union Home Ministry officials in Delhi on Thursday evening. Police told The Hindu the action was suo motu — at odds with the complaint trail.
How has the opposition reacted?
NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule defended the right to protest, saying: "Nobody throws them out of the country." Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said: "If he has been asked to leave for supporting the young generation, then the government is scared." Both framed the notice as government overreach rather than routine immigration enforcement.
Sources
- The Hindu — Anti-CEC protest: Actor Imran Khan issued notice, asked to leave India by October 28 (October 15, 2026)
- The Indian Express — Actor Imran Khan heads to Bombay HC after told to leave India over anti-CEC protest (October 15, 2026)
- The Times of India — Actor Imran Khan asked to leave India: How anti-CEC protest, Kirit Somaiya's complaint led to Mumbai Police notice (October 15, 2026)
GlobalDeskNews Staff | 15 October 2026