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Actor Imran Khan has moved the Bombay High Court challenging the "Leave India" notice issued by the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) asking him to leave the country by October 28.

Notably, Imran, US citizen and an OCI Card holder, was last week detained by the Mumbai Police for participating in the protests staged for removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the SIR process. 

The actor has moved the High Court through advocates Zulfikar Memon, Parvez Memon and Chirag Naik. In his petition, Khan has contended that the notice asking him to leave the country, was issued in haste merely on some complaints by political persons alleging that he had participated in the protests, whereas, there is no evidence as such to show that he participated in any protests or mobilised mob etc.

"The LIN directs the Petitioner to leave India by October 28, 2026 without disclosing any reasons, supporting material, or specific statutory contravention. It was issued without inquiry, a show-cause notice, or any opportunity for the Petitioner to respond to the alleged violations. Even a cursory application of mind by the FRRO before issuing a measure of such gravity would have revealed the Petitioner's subsisting OCI status and the undisputed facts relating to the underlying incident, namely, his unjust and brief detention by the police on October 10, 2026 near August Kranti Maidan at Nana Chowk. The record will show that - no gathering was taking place when the Petitioner arrived, he neither entered any restricted or barricaded area nor disobeyed the police direction to leave; and he was apprehended only after the media surrounded him while he was returning to his nearby vehicle," the plea reads. 

Imran contends that he has not breached either any provision of the Immigration and Foreigners Act or the Citizenship Act, which governs his rights and duties as a OCI and neither does the notice cite any specific breach. The plea points out that Imran has resided peacefully in India since the age of two (2), has deep-rooted familial, marital, educational, and professional ties to the country, and has no criminal antecedents. However, by disregarding these material facts, the authorities issued the notice, which reflects patent non-application of mind and the arbitrary targeting him as a public figure.

"Not only is the notice manifestly disproportionate, if implemented, it would reduce the very principles of natural justice that the Respondents are duty bound to uphold, to nothing but a dead letter. Accordingly, the Petitioner thus seeks urgent ad-interim relief against the operation and implementation of the impugned LIN and final relief as to its quashing," the plea prays.

According to Imran, he was 'illegally' detained even by the Mumbai Police even when he was not an active participant of the protests in fact, when he reached the site, the protests had not even commenced. He contended that he was picked up from the site while he and his family members were standing near the site and speaking to the media. He says that initially the police put them in their vehicles and the same was driven around the city for nearly an hour and then was taken to the Yellow Gate Police Station in South Mumbai. He said that he and his family members were let off as the police had no 'instructions' for detaining them.

"Upon enquiring about the reasons for his being apprehended, the Petitioner was informed by the senior officers present that they had no instructions in that regard. The Petitioner was subsequently informed that he and his family were free to leave the police station, whereupon they walked out of the premises. After leaving the police station, the Petitioner and his family attempted to hire a cab. However, certain police personnel followed them and intimidated the cab driver, as a result of which the driver refused to take their booking. The Petitioner and his family members were consequently compelled to continue on foot towards Bhendi Bazar, crossing the flyover along the way. Thereafter, they managed to arrange transportation and returned home," the plea states.

Further, the plea points out that Imran learnt that an FIR was lodged against him on a complaint by some political leaders and as a result within five days, the FRRO without applying his mind, issued the leave India notice in a 'haste.'

"The extraordinary haste with which the notice has been issued, within five days of the complaint said to have been made, strongly indicates that it was issued not upon an independent, objective and lawful assessment, but as a purely responsive measure and/or reaction and/or for extraneous reasons. During this interregnum, the Petitioner was served with no notice or summons, informed of no allegation, and afforded no opportunity whatsoever to explain his position. More fundamentally, the notice conspicuously ignores and makes no reference to the Petitioner's subsisting OCI status, thereby circumventing the statutory safeguards under the Citizenship Act, 1955, and proceeds to inflict the drastic consequence of expulsion without considering the complete and undisputed facts. An order of such grave civil consequence, passed in manifest breach of natural justice and without application of mind, is ex facie arbitrary, illegal, unconstitutional and legally unsustainable. It therefore warrants immediate judicial intervention and an immediate interdict, as well. The said notice deserves to be quashed and set aside," Imran submitted. 

Notably, this action follows Khan's participation in the anti-CEC protests held in August Kranti Maidan on October 10, wherein he was detained by the Mumbai Police along with other protestors. The FRRO had issued a notice to Imran after BJP leader Kirit Somaiya complained to the Mumbai Police that he was a foreigner and had violated the provisions of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025

"It has come to our notice that you, Imran Khan Pal, a United States of America (USA) national have contravened the provisions of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 and the Rules and Orders made thereunder. Therefore, being the FRRO, Mumbai, I order you that you shall not remain in India and shall depart from India on or before October 28," the notice issued by the FRRO stated.

The notice further warned prosecution under the relevant provisions of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 if Imran fails to leave India by October 28.

The matter is likely to be mentioned before the bench led by Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi on Monday (October 19).

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