Mumbai (Gurpreet Singh); The Bombay High Court on Tuesday put on hold a departure notice issued to actor Imran Khan by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), which had directed the US citizen to leave India by October 28. The court said the notice would remain in abeyance until November 2, when it will hear his petition challenging the order.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna adjourned the matter after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the FRRO, sought more time. Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh gave an oral assurance that no action would be taken against the actor in the meantime.
Khan’s counsel, senior advocate Venkatesh Dhond, had drawn the court’s attention to the October 28 deadline and requested protection against coercive action. The bench accepted the request and kept the notice in abeyance until the next hearing.
Why Did The FRRO Issue A Notice To Imran Khan?
The departure notice followed Khan’s presence at a protest in Mumbai on October 10, held in solidarity with demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The protest took place at August Kranti Maidan and was organised in solidarity with demonstrations by the Cockroach Janta Party in Delhi. Khan was briefly detained during the gathering.
In his petition, the actor denied participating in the protest and said he had no association with the organisers or any organisation involved in the agitation. He challenged the notice as illegal, arbitrary and disproportionate, seeking its cancellation and protection from coercive action while the case is pending.
Imran Khan Also Challenges OCI-Related Notice
Khan approached the High Court on October 17. He also received a show-cause notice from the FRRO asking him to explain why his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status should not be revoked.
The actor’s petition, filed through advocate Zulfikar Memon and MZM Legal, alleged that the action reflected a failure to properly assess the circumstances and amounted to arbitrary targeting of him as a public figure. These are claims made in the petition and have not been established by the court.
What Did The Authorities Cite In The Departure Order?
According to the notice, authorities invoked provisions of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, including Section 7(2)(c) and Section 29. These provisions concern the regulation of foreign nationals’ presence in India and the removal of foreigners in specified circumstances.
The order directed Khan to leave India by October 28 and warned that removal proceedings could follow if he did not comply. With the High Court keeping the notice in abeyance, the matter is now scheduled to be heard on November 2.
Khan, 43, is the nephew of actor Aamir Khan and has appeared in several Hindi films.
