Mumbai - Actor Imran Khan, nephew of actor Aamir Khan, has been issued a notice directing him to leave India by October 28, 2026, following his participation in a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The notice was issued by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Mumbai, according to police officials.
Khan, who holds United States citizenship and an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, participated in a demonstration at August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai on October 10. The protest was organised in support of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and centred on demands for the CEC's resignation amid allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The action against Khan has brought renewed attention to the rules governing the participation of foreign nationals in political demonstrations in India, as well as the legal status and privileges of OCI cardholders. Mumbai Police have stated that the notice was issued because Khan participated in the agitation despite not being an Indian citizen.
FRRO Issues Notice Following October 10 Demonstration
Khan was among hundreds of people detained by Mumbai Police during the October 10 demonstration at August Kranti Maidan and nearby areas. His partner, actor Lekha Washington, and his cousin Zayn Marie Khan were also detained during the police action. The three were subsequently released.
The protest called for Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over concerns raised by demonstrators about the revision of electoral rolls. The Special Intensive Revision is an Election Commission exercise intended to review and update electoral rolls. The protesters alleged irregularities in the process and demanded accountability from the Chief Election Commissioner.
Following the demonstration, BJP leader and former Member of Parliament Kirit Somaiya approached the police, seeking action against Khan on the grounds that he was a foreign national who had participated in a political agitation. His complaint raised questions about Khan's citizenship status and whether his participation was consistent with the conditions applicable to foreign nationals and OCI cardholders.
The complaint was forwarded to the FRRO for examination. Mumbai Police subsequently confirmed that a Leave India Notice had been issued to Khan, directing him to leave the country by October 28. Police officials said the action was taken under the applicable immigration provisions and that further administrative procedures were under way.
The notice is an administrative immigration measure. Its issuance should not, by itself, be described as a criminal conviction or a judicial finding that Khan committed an offence.
OCI Status and Legal Framework Under Immigration Law
An Overseas Citizen of India card provides certain immigration and residency-related privileges to eligible foreign nationals of Indian origin, but it does not confer Indian citizenship. The Government of India’s official OCI guidance explicitly states that an OCI cardholder remains a foreign national holding a passport issued by another country.
OCI cardholders receive benefits, including a lifelong, multiple-entry visa for visiting India, subject to applicable conditions. Their status does not grant all the constitutional and political rights available to Indian citizens.
India’s Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, which came into force on September 1, 2025, provides the legal framework for regulating the entry, stay and departure of foreign nationals. The law defines a foreigner as a person who is not an Indian citizen and provides for the regulation of immigration-related matters.
In Khan’s case, the reported notice concerns his participation in a political demonstration while holding foreign citizenship and OCI status. However, the precise legal provision relied upon by the authorities, the detailed grounds recorded in the notice and any response submitted by Khan have not been independently established from the publicly available information reviewed for this report.
The legal distinction between citizenship and OCI status is central to the matter. An OCI card does not amount to dual citizenship, and cardholders remain subject to applicable immigration rules and conditions. At the same time, the issuance of a notice in an individual case does not establish that every form of protest participation by a foreign national automatically constitutes an offence or necessarily results in removal from India.
The notice directing Khan to leave by October 28 is therefore an administrative action whose legal basis and implications must be assessed against the relevant law, the conditions applicable to his status and the contents of the notice itself.
Political Protest and Questions Over Electoral Roll Revision
The demonstration at August Kranti Maidan was part of a wider campaign demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Protesters raised allegations concerning the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, a process intended to examine and update voter lists.
The demands concern the functioning of the electoral administration and the integrity of voter registration. Allegations raised by protesters should, however, be distinguished from findings established by a competent authority. Participation in a demonstration does not itself establish the truth of the allegations being advanced.
Khan’s participation brought his foreign citizenship and OCI status into the dispute after Kirit Somaiya sought police action against him. Mumbai Police subsequently confirmed the issuance of the Leave India Notice and the October 28 deadline.
The case raises questions about the relationship between immigration conditions and participation in political activity by foreign nationals. Any assessment of the authorities’ action must distinguish the reported administrative decision from a judicial determination and must rely on the applicable statutory provisions rather than assumptions about the rights or restrictions associated with foreign citizenship.
As of October 15, the confirmed development is that Khan has been directed to leave India by October 28. The full text of the notice, any formal challenge to it and the final outcome of the proceedings were not established in the information available for this report.
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