Imran Khan fights Oct 28 exit notice in Bombay High Court

The exit notice

Bollywood actor Imran Khan has asked the Bombay High Court to urgently stay a Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) direction that he leave India by October 28. The petition, e-filed on Saturday, challenges the original notice dated October 14, which gave him 14 days to leave.

Filed through advocates Zulfiquar Memon, Parvez Memon and Chirag Naik, the plea describes the order as “arbitrary, unreasoned and wholly misconceived”. It says the FRRO acted without giving Khan a hearing and that the decision violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.

A fight about status and due process

Khan says he has lived in India since he was two years old and holds an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card. His petition argues the authorities treated him only as a US national and disregarded the rights tied to his OCI status and years of residence.

The notice alleges violations of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, and warns of prosecution if he does not leave in time. But the plea contends no specific provision has been identified, no show-cause notice preceded the order, and no chargesheet has been filed.

That distinction sits at the heart of the case: the FRRO order describes a foreign national; Khan says he is a lifelong resident with OCI ties.

The protest and its fallout

The legal challenge follows Khan’s detention on October 10 at August Kranti Maidan, where demonstrators demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He was held along with his partner, Lekha Washington, and cousin, Zayn Marie Khan.

Khan has said he attended as a Mumbai resident, not as a representative of any political organisation. After his detention, he posted a photograph from a police van with the caption: “Apparently, I am going for a ride.” The case follows demands for his deportation by BJP leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya.

What Khan wants now

• Quash the FRRO exit notice dated October 14.
• Stay the direction until the petition is heard and decided.
• Direct the authorities to produce the records behind the decision.

Khan argues the protest venue was not restricted, OCI cardholders are not barred from demonstrations, and footage would show he did not breach barricades. His petition says the loss of his home and livelihood “cannot be compensated in terms of money or otherwise”.

The same day he filed, the FRRO issued a fresh show-cause notice asking why action should not be taken under the laws governing foreigners and OCI cardholders. His petition is likely to be mentioned for an urgent hearing on Monday.

Source: The Times of India