Imran Khan has been asked to leave India by October 28 after joining an anti-CEC protest in Mumbai. The Foreigners Regional Registration Office served the notice on the actor, who is an American citizen living in India on an Overseas Citizen of India card.
His lawyer, Zulfikar Memon, has confirmed that the actor intends to challenge the order in the Bombay High Court. That sets up a legal wrangle over the limits of the OCI card.
What happened at the protest
On October 10, Khan and his girlfriend, Lekha Washington, joined a demonstration at August Kranti Maidan. The crowd was calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Khan and Washington were detained along with hundreds of others.
A Mumbai Police official said on October 15 that the FRRO had acted and a notice was served to the actor, described as the nephew of Bollywood star Aamir Khan and a Khar resident.
The OCI split screen
Veteran actor Gajendra Chauhan, known for Mahabharat, was blunt. Speaking to ANI, he said Khan “should not have gone to protest because it is against the law” and that OCI holders cannot vote, contest elections, or protest.
Chauhan also questioned why the authorities had given Khan until October 28 to leave, arguing for faster action. He said, “When there is a violation of the law, then the punishment will be there.”
Raza Murad took a similar line, separating legal process from panic. He said no foreign national has reason to interfere in India’s internal affairs, and that Mumbai Police acted within the law. “He has been given 15 days,” Murad said, not a 24-hour removal.
Why this matters for celebrity-watchers
This is a visibility story. A public figure joining a street protest on an OCI card puts two things on display: the legal restrictions of non-citizen status, and the high-profile consequences of overlooking them.
The OCI card is the pivot here. It can feel like citizenship from the outside—holders can live and work in India—but it does not carry political rights. That distinction is what Chauhan is pointing at when he says the demonstration crossed a legal line. The court challenge may test exactly where that line sits.
- October 10: Imran Khan joins the anti-CEC protest and is detained.
- October 15: The FRRO notice is confirmed by Mumbai Police.
- October 28: The deadline given for him to leave India.
- Next step: His lawyer says the notice will be challenged in the Bombay High Court.
For fans, the date to watch is no longer a release date. It is a court date.
What comes next
Khan’s legal team has signalled a Bombay High Court challenge. The case may turn on whether participating in a street demonstration counts as the kind of political activity an OCI card holder is barred from. Until the court weighs in, the exit deadline stands.
Keep the focus on the legal question, not the personal one. This is about status, not celebrity.
Source: Hindustan Times
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