U.S. citizen Imran Khan has been directed to leave India by October 28 after taking part in a protest calling for electoral reforms and the resignation of Indian Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The actor, who holds an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, received the notice from Indian immigration authorities over his participation in the demonstration.
The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) issued the notice over Khan’s participation in a demonstration held at Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan on October 10. The protest called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of electoral fraud. India’s Election Commission has denied the allegations.
Mumbai police said Thursday that Khan had participated in the agitation despite not being an Indian citizen. The actor’s lawyer has challenged the notice and plans to contest the order in the Bombay High Court, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI).
Khan’s legal team has argued that Indian law does not prohibit OCI cardholders from participating in protests. The petition has described the notice as a drastic measure, PTI reported.
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Khan holds U.S. citizenship and an OCI card, which allows eligible people of Indian origin to visit and reside in India under specified conditions. However, OCI cardholders are not Indian citizens and cannot vote in Indian elections or contest them.
The controversy began after Khan joined a demonstration organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), part of a wider Gen Z-led movement demanding electoral reforms. The actor said he attended as a resident of Mumbai rather than as a representative of any political organization.
“I don’t have demands. I’m here as a citizen, as a person who lives in this city. I’m here to see why freedom of movement is being restricted, why people’s voices are being suppressed,” Khan told reporters.
He was briefly detained alongside other protesters. His girlfriend, Lekha Washington, his mother, Nusrat, and his niece, Zayn, were also detained during the demonstration, according to reports.
Khan later shared a photograph of himself inside a police detention van on Instagram with the caption, “Apparently I’m going for a drive.” The post attracted more than two million likes on the platform.
The complaint against Khan was filed by Kirit Somaiya, a leader of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who accused the actor of being involved in a conspiracy to spread anarchy in India. Somaiya also called on Mumbai police to investigate Khan’s citizenship status and how long he had held U.S. citizenship.
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“I had sought a report on how long Imran Khan had been a US citizen,” as stated by Somaiya .
Khan has not directly addressed Somaiya’s allegations. His legal challenge, however, raises questions about the restrictions applicable to OCI cardholders and the extent to which they can participate in public demonstrations.
The FRRO operates under India’s Bureau of Immigration, which falls within the Ministry of Home Affairs, and coordinates with local police on immigration matters. Authorities have not indicated that Khan’s acting career or family background changes the conditions attached to his OCI status.
Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Khan is an American citizen by birth whose acting career has been largely based in India’s Hindi-language film industry. He is the grandson of filmmaker Nasir Hussain and the nephew of Bollywood star Aamir Khan.
He spent parts of his childhood in Mumbai and Coonoor before moving to California for high school and college. Despite his U.S. citizenship, he has built much of his professional life in India, where he is known for films including Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na.
The October 28 deadline now puts Khan’s continued stay in India at the center of a legal dispute. The outcome of his challenge in the Bombay High Court could determine whether the departure notice stands and how the authorities’ action against him proceeds.