Bollywood actor Imran Khan, an American citizen holding an Overseas Citizen of India card, was directed on October 15, 2026, by Mumbai’s Foreigners Regional Registration Office to leave the country by October 28 after participating in a demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
When Imran Khan joined a demonstration at Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan on October 10, 2026, he spoke to reporters about why he was there. Instead, the actor and more than 400 other participants found themselves detained by the Mumbai Police. Five days later, the fallout escalated sharply when authorities served the actor with an official notice giving him two weeks to exit the country.
The administrative directive arrived following a formal complaint filed by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kirit Somaiya at a local police station. Somaiya argued that the actor’s political activities breached the conditions governing foreign nationals and Overseas Citizens of India. The notice specifically invokes provisions under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, turning a street-level detention into a high-stakes test of immigration restrictions and residency rights.
August Kranti Maidan Detentions and the Cockroach Janta Party Protest
The protests centers on mounting opposition to the Election Commission of India and its handling of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The Cockroach Janta Party organized the demonstrations in Delhi and Mumbai to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Critics and opposition groups have raised concerns that the voter roll revision exercise could disenfranchise legitimate voters and tilt electoral outcomes.
During the October 10 demonstration in Mumbai, Khan spoke briefly with reporters before police intervened. I am here as a citizen, as a person who lives in this city,
Khan told reporters, according to the reporting outlets. I am here to see why freedom of movement is being restricted. Why are people’s voices being suppressed?
Police subsequently detained Khan, alongside his girlfriend Lekha Washington and his cousin Zayn Marie Khan. Washington later shared on social media that uniformed persons grabbed her and Zayn, leaving them with bruises, before forcing them into a vehicle where they were driven around for a couple of hours and later blocked from taking public transit.
Legal Battle at the Bombay High Court Over the Leave India Notice
The Foreigners Regional Registration Office served the directive ordering Khan to depart India by October 28. The legal footing for the order relies on Sections 7 and 29 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, which grant central authorities broad powers to regulate the presence and removal of foreign nationals. Legal experts note that while cancelling OCI status requires a formal hearing under Section 7D, the executive power to issue a Leave India notice operates under broader discretion without identical procedural safeguards.
Legal representation for the actor has mobilized quickly. Attorneys Zulfiquar Memon, Parvez Memon, and Chirag Naik of MZM Legal LLP prepared a writ petition for filing in the Bombay High Court. The core argument in the forthcoming petition asserts that neither statutory laws nor OCI regulations explicitly forbid cardholders from attending peaceful demonstrations.
The basis of the plea is that our client Imran Khan has not violated any conditions of the FRRO Act.
Lawyers representing Imran Khan, via Mid-Day and The Independent
Political Divide and Public Reactions Across Bollywood
Political figures quickly lined up on opposite sides of the controversy. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya praised the police action, arguing that foreign nationals should not interfere in domestic political affairs. Somaiya also approached Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan to request a Look Out Circular to prevent the actor from leaving the country before inquiries conclude. Conversely, veteran actor Raza Murad criticized Khan for involving himself in local political demonstrations.
Within the film industry, public backing emerged from several quarters. Filmmaker Kiran Rao took to social media to question the police action, highlighting Khan’s deep personal and professional roots in the country.
43 years old. 40 of those years in India. Studied here, worked here, succeeded here, failed here, loved here and fought here.
Kiran Rao, Filmmaker
Actress Saba Azad also voiced strong disapproval of the legal action on social media. Meanwhile, the impending court filing in Mumbai prior to the October 28 deadline sets the stage for a judicial review regarding the extent of state authority over OCI residents engaged in public protest.