American actor and Overseas Citizen of India cardholder Imran Khan has challenged a Mumbai Foreigners Regional Registration Office notice instructing him to leave India by October 28, following his brief detention after a protest at August Kranti Maidan.
The legal confrontation centers on a notice issued by authorities on October 15, directing Imran Khan to leave the country following his presence at a demonstration in Mumbai. The actor, who holds an American passport and an Overseas Citizen of India card, was detained by Mumbai Police on October 10 at August Kranti Maidan during a political demonstration organized by the Cockroach Janata Party.
The August Kranti Maidan Protest and Police Detention
The demonstration called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over concerns regarding voter list revisions. During the gathering, law enforcement detained several participants, including actor Imran Khan and actress Lekha Washington.
Bollywood actor Imran Khan was detained by Mumbai Police on October 10, 2026, at August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai. The actor has been vocal about the protests and showed his solidarity in previous protest marches too. https://t.co/lsOIqwXaGb pic.twitter.com/52mJ9S0vMo
While seated inside a police vehicle following his detention, the actor shared an image online with a brief caption. Looks like I am going for a drive,
he wrote on social media. Speaking to reporters at the scene, he maintained that his attendance carried no partisan agenda.
Legal Response and Bombay High Court Challenge
Following a complaint from Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kirit Somaiya — who argued that an OCI cardholder participating in political agitation violated regulatory conditions — authorities issued the departure directive under immigration provisions.
In response, the actor’s legal representatives filed a petition in the Bombay High Court through advocates Zulfikar Memon, Parvez Memon, and Chirag Nayak. The petition describes the departure order as illegal, unreasonable, harsh and wrong in the eyes of law and asks for interim protection against immediate enforcement.
The legal team argues that the actor was merely passing through Nana Chowk when police barricades and converging media personnel blocked his path. Let the police pull out the CCTV footage of the area, everything will be clear,
advocate Zulfikar Memon told reporters.
Political Reactions and Industry Support in Mumbai
The expulsion notice has generated sharp divisions across the political and film sectors. Opposition figures, including NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule and UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray, criticized the punitive measures taken against the actor, while Maharashtra Minister of State Yogesh Kadam insisted that the country’s laws must be obeyed by everyone.
Conversely, several figures within the film community expressed public dismay over the police directive.
Filmmaker Kiran Rao questioned the official action on social media, noting that the actor has spent forty of his forty-three years living, studying, and working in India. Actress Saba Azad also condemned the move as entirely unwarranted, while filmmaker Ashok Pandit backed the immigration notice.