Imran Khan’s legal fight after a Mumbai protest
Imran Khan has been served a notice by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Mumbai asking him to leave India by October 28, after he joined an anti-CEC protest in the city on October 10. The actor, who holds a US passport and an Overseas Citizen of India card, was detained during the demonstration and later released.
His lawyer, Zulfikar Memon, confirmed that Imran intends to challenge the notice in the Bombay High Court. The petition is expected to be filed by Friday or Monday.
What Lekha Washington posted
Lekha Washington, Imran’s girlfriend, shared her first Instagram post after the FRRO notice: a picture of the two inside a police van from the day of the detention. She captioned it with a row of heart-hands emojis and no long statement. Imran’s cousin Zayn Marie Khan commented, “You are love,” adding red hearts.
Filmmaker Kiran Rao and actor Saba Azad also showed public support for Imran.
Why the couple was detained
The demonstration at August Kranti Maidan was organised by the Cockroach Janta Party. It demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
According to Lekha’s account after the release, the two had gone to check on friends who had been detained and were then held themselves, along with more than 400 other protesters. She alleged that uniformed officers grabbed her and Zayn, leaving bruises, before they were taken away in a vehicle.
Imran was approached by reporters at the protest. As Lekha recounted, he said they had “no demands” and were “just individuals.” She said loud whistling cut him off before he could finish.
The OCI angle
The FRRO action reportedly followed a complaint from BJP leader Kirit Somaiya over the actor’s participation in the protest despite his US citizenship and OCI status. For celebrity watchers, the case matters because it sits at the crossing of fame, public protest and residency rules.
- Imran was served the FRRO notice on October 15.
- He holds a US passport and an OCI card.
- The notice asks him to leave by October 28.
- His lawyer says a Bombay High Court challenge is being prepared.
What happens next
Keep an eye on the Bombay High Court filing. If it moves quickly, it could become the next flashpoint in the conversation around celebrities joining street protests while living in India on an OCI card. For now, Lekha’s post and the support from industry friends are keeping the story in the celebrity feed.
Source: Hindustan Times
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