Mumbai: Actor Imran Khan will challenge the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) directive that asks him to leave India by October 28, putting the matter before the Bombay High Court. His lawyer, Zulfiqar Memon, will file a petition contesting the order, according to a Bollywood Hungama report citing NDTV.
Why the notice was issued
The FRRO action follows the actor’s participation in a Mumbai protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The demonstration demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kirit Somaiya then complained to the police, arguing that the actor’s presence at the protest violated the restrictions that apply to foreign citizens. The police forwarded the complaint to the FRRO.
Imran Khan is an American citizen and an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder. The FRRO’s position is that an OCI card does not permit a foreign national to take part in protests, whatever residency or economic privileges the card may carry.
The legal ground
The order has been issued under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. Section 7 of that Act empowers the central government to issue directions regulating, restricting or prohibiting the entry, departure, presence or movement of foreign nationals in India. The Bombay High Court will now examine whether that provision was applied correctly to a street protest.
- Deadline: leave India by October 28.
- Response: a Bombay High Court petition through lawyer Zulfiqar Memon.
- Statute: Section 7 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.
- Trigger: a complaint arising from the CJP protest over CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
Raza Murad’s criticism
Veteran actor Raza Murad backed the FRRO’s handling of the case. He said no foreign national should interfere in India’s domestic affairs, and pointed out that the actor had been given 15 days to respond. Speaking to ANI, Murad said, “no foreign national has any business interfering in the internal affairs of our country.”
Murad framed the actor’s path as a clear choice: leave by October 28 or take the grievance to court. He added that if the court gives a verdict, “whatever the court decides, we must all accept it.”
Why it matters for Hindi cinema
The case puts a sharper legal edge on a familiar industry question. Mumbai-based cinema regularly includes professionals who hold foreign citizenship or OCI status, and the boundaries of that status become politically sensitive when public figures join demonstrations. The High Court’s eventual view could signal how the 2025 Act will be read for other OCI cardholders in public life.
The actor has not left the country; his legal team is preparing its petition, and the FRRO’s interpretation will now be tested in court.
Source: bollywoodHungama.com
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