A PROTEST, AN EXIT ORDER AND A HIGH-COURT CHALLENGE: ACTOR IMRAN KHAN FIGHTS TO STAY IN INDIA BEYOND OCTOBER 28
October 17, 2026
MUMBAI, OCTOBER 17, 2026 — Actor Imran Khan has approached the Bombay High Court challenging a Mumbai Police notice directing him to leave India by October 28 following his participation in a political protest. The actor, a United States citizen and an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder, has sought to have the order quashed and its operation stayed while his petition is considered.
In his petition, filed through advocate Zulfiquar Memon and MZM Legal, Khan described the notice as “illegal, perverse, drastic and bad in law”. He argued that the authorities had not disclosed the reasons or supporting material behind the decision and had failed to identify the specific statutory provision he had allegedly violated.
The plea maintains that neither the applicable law nor the relevant statutory rules prohibit an OCI cardholder from participating in a peaceful protest. Khan has therefore challenged the legal basis for directing him to leave the country over his participation in the demonstration.
The petition also alleges that the notice was issued without an inquiry, a show-cause notice or an opportunity for Khan to respond to the alleged violations. According to his legal challenge, the absence of these steps raises questions about the basis and procedure of the police action.
Khan's plea is expected to be mentioned for an urgent hearing before a division bench of the Bombay High Court comprising Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna. He has requested interim relief to prevent the notice from taking effect while the court considers his challenge.
The police action followed Khan's brief detention during a protest at Mumbai's August Kranti Maidan on October 10. Demonstrators had gathered there in solidarity with a demonstration organised by the Cockroach Janta Party in Delhi, which demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
According to officials, the authorities subsequently served Khan with a departure order under provisions of the Immigration and Foreigners Act. The notice invoked Section 7(2)(C) and Section 29, provisions that empower the government to regulate the presence of foreign nationals in India and, in specified circumstances, direct their removal.
Section 7(2)(C) permits the government to issue directions restricting or regulating a foreign national's presence in the country or in a specified area. Section 29 provides for the removal of a foreign national in circumstances covered by the Act, including certain violations of its provisions, rules or orders, or where an adverse security report applies.
The notice directs Khan to leave India on or before October 28. It warns that deportation proceedings may be initiated if he fails to comply with the order.
The dispute has placed the actor's immigration status and his right to challenge the administrative decision before the High Court at the centre of the case. Khan's legal position rests on the contention that participation in a peaceful protest does not, by itself, establish a violation warranting his departure from India, and that the authorities have not adequately explained the legal basis for their action.
The case also raises questions about the relationship between immigration powers and participation in public demonstrations. While the government possesses statutory authority to regulate the presence of foreign nationals, Khan's petition asks the court to examine whether the notice issued against him was legally justified and procedurally valid.
The High Court's consideration of the matter will be significant in determining whether the departure order can remain in force while the challenge proceeds. Until the court considers the petition, the allegations and legal arguments presented by Khan remain claims requiring judicial examination.
For now, the October 28 deadline gives the dispute an immediate urgency. Khan is seeking judicial intervention to prevent the order from taking effect, while the authorities have indicated that failure to comply could lead to deportation proceedings.
The case has emerged from a protest connected to the wider political controversy over electoral-roll revision, but its immediate legal question concerns the validity of the departure notice served on the actor. The Bombay High Court will be asked to determine whether the order should be set aside and whether interim protection should be granted while the matter is adjudicated.
