Mumbai Police ordered actor Imran Khan to leave India after he joined a political protest. The notice has triggered a court challenge and a wider row over OCI protest rights.
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Newdelhi,Oct 15, 2026 18:04 IST
Mumbai Police have asked Bollywood actor Imran Khan, a US citizen and Overseas Citizen of India cardholder, to leave the country by October 28 over his participation in a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
The notice has sparked a political controversy, with Khan planning to challenge it in the Bombay High Court and opposition leaders describing the action as dictatorial. The actor, known for films such as 'I Hate Luv Storys' and 'Mere Brother Ki Dulhan', was served the notice by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office for allegedly violating the Immigration and Foreigners Act.
Khan, who is the nephew of actor Aamir Khan, took part in the protest at Mumbai's August Kranti Maidan on October 10. Police briefly detained him during the demonstration.
A police official told PTI that a formal notice directing the 43-year-old actor to leave India by October 28 had been served and further administrative procedures were under way.
"Imran Khan holds foreign citizenship and is not an Indian national. Under relevant provisions of the Foreigners/Immigration Act, foreign nationals are prohibited from participating in political protests or political activities on Indian soil," the official said.
After the protest, a video surfaced showing Khan responding to a reporter's question while being escorted to a police vehicle. "I have no demands. I am not part of any organisation," he said.
BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had urged Mumbai Police to act against Khan for joining a protest in support of the Cockroach Janta Party despite being a "foreign citizen". He had also sought clarity on whether the actor could participate in such demonstrations.
Somaiya welcomed the police action on Thursday and demanded that others involved in similar activities also be deported. He had filed complaints with the Union government's immigration authorities, the Airport Authority and Mumbai Police seeking action against Khan.
"There are thousands of Imran Khans in India. They want to live here and defame the country," Somaiya told reporters. He demanded action against all such people and alleged that Khan earned his livelihood in India while participating in political activities against the government despite being a US citizen.
Khan is likely to approach the Bombay High Court on Friday or Monday through his lawyer Zulfiquar Memon, PTI reported. According to the draft petition, no law or rule prohibits an OCI cardholder from participating in a peaceful protest.
The petition describes the police notice as "drastic". Once filed, it is expected to be mentioned for an urgent hearing before a division bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna.
The notice drew strong reactions from Maharashtra's opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance. Senior Congress leader Nana Patole accused the Centre of running a dictatorship.
"Not just actor Imran Khan, but anyone in the country who speaks against the government is labelled as a traitor by people sitting in the government," Patole told reporters in Nagpur.
Alleging that people's freedom was being taken away, Patole said, "Those who do not respect the Constitution are sitting in constitutional posts... Shouldn't we call such people traitors?"
He also said people had to pay even to hold a protest, an apparent reference to the Rs 10 lakh paid during the 'Chatron ki Goonj' programme in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. "If you want to express your opinion, you must pay. This is a dictatorship. If you do not have the right to voice your opinion in independent India, then the Narendra Modi government is running a dictatorship," the former MP said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said the government was "scared" of protests and noted that many Bollywood stars were foreign nationals or non-resident Indians. He also questioned why the Centre was not asking former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina to leave India, where she has been living in exile since August 2024.
NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule defended Khan, saying participation in a protest was not a crime. "Everyone has the right to protest. Many of my friends live abroad and they were also at the protest... He has just protested," the Baramati MP said.
Sule alleged that the government was targeting peaceful protesters while people facing serious criminal charges continued to hold high office. "He is being asked to leave... What crime has he committed? Many who have been accused of rape and murder are chief ministers of many states. The CM of a big state has murder charges against him yet he remains the CM. He has just protested," she said.
Khan now faces an October 28 deadline to leave India as he prepares to challenge the notice in the Bombay High Court, while opposition parties have criticised the decision and BJP leader Somaiya has called for similar action against other foreign citizens involved in political protests.
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