Imran Khan challenges ‘Leave India’ notice in Bombay HC, seeks urgent stay before October 28 deadline

New Delhi: Actor Imran Khan has moved the Bombay High Court seeking an urgent stay on a notice issued by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) directing him to leave India by 28 October.

The petition, filed through advocates Zulfiquar Memon, Parvez Memon, and Chirag Naik, will be mentioned for an urgent hearing on Monday. The order followed Khan’s detention during an October 10 demonstration at Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan, where protesters sought the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Khan’s plea seeks to quash the exit directive and requests the court to direct the FRRO to produce the underlying records of the decision. The actor argues that authorities failed to point out any specific violation or take into account his status as an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder.

Legal challenge to notice and OCI rights

The FRRO notice labels Khan as a US national and claims breaches of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, alongside associated rules, warning of criminal prosecution if he fails to leave within the deadline.

Khan’s plea highlights that the notice does not mention which specific statutory provision he breached, nor does it detail how or when the alleged offence occurred. The petition argues that the authorities treated him strictly as a foreign citizen, ignoring his lifelong residency rights under his OCI status. He was served a 14-day exit deadline without a preliminary inquiry, show-cause notice, or any hearing.

The petition also notes that the August Kranti Maidan gathering was not held in a restricted zone and that OCI holders face no legal bar against attending protests. Khan said video footage would prove he did not break barricades and was merely leaving when detained alongside his partner Lekha Washington and cousin Zayn Marie Khan.

Stating that he has lived in India since he was two years old, Khan termed the move completely disproportionate over a bailable matter where no chargesheet has been filed. The action followed BJP leader Kirit Somaiya’s demand for Khan’s deportation over alleged immigration violations. Speaking at the protest venue earlier, Khan maintained that he attended purely as a local resident, not on behalf of any political outfit.