Imran Khan gets interim relief from “leave India” notice; no action till November 2

Why was Imran Khan asked to leave India? Read the FRRO notice, the Kirit Somaiya complaint, the OCI show-cause and the High Court hearing

PGurus Newsdesk

October 27, 2026

Protest, complaint, FRRO notice, High Court: how the Imran Khan case unfolded

FRRO acted under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 after a complaint by BJP’s Kirit Somaiya

Actor Imran Khan has won only a breather, not a verdict, in his fight against the “leave India” notice. The Centre told the Bombay High Court on Tuesday that no coercive action will be taken against him until the next hearing on November 2.

Khan, 43, is a US citizen and an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder. The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) had directed him to leave the country by October 28 after he allegedly took part in an October 10 protest at Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan. The demonstration was held in solidarity with a protest in Delhi by the “Cockroach Janta Party,” which demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The chain of events began with a complaint by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, who alleged that Khan joined the protest despite being a foreign national, in violation of the rules. The police forwarded the complaint to the FRRO, which issued the notice under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. Section 7 of the Act empowers the Centre to regulate, restrict or prohibit the entry, departure, presence or movement of foreigners in India.

Khan moved the High Court on October 17, calling the notice “illegal, arbitrary, perverse and drastic.” He also told the court he had not taken part in any gathering and had no links to the organisers. The FRRO has since issued him a show-cause notice asking why his OCI status should not be revoked.

At Tuesday’s hearing, his counsel Venkatesh Dhond pointed to the October 28 deadline. Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh then assured the court that no coercive steps would be taken. A bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna listed the matter for November 2.

The assurance is not a ruling. The court has not examined whether the notice was lawful, and the OCI show-cause proceeding is still pending.

Khan, his partner Lekha Washington and his cousin Zayne Marie Khan were briefly detained at the protest. Khan posted a photo from inside the police van. At the demonstration, he said he was there as a citizen and wanted to know why freedom of movement and people’s voices were being restricted.

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