Actor Imran Khan has challenged a Mumbai Police order directing him to leave India by October 28, arguing that the action is unlawful and that he had no involvement in the political protest cited by authorities. The Bombay High Court is scheduled to hear the actor's petition on October 27, a day before the deadline approaches. The matter was briefly taken up on Monday before a division bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna. Senior advocate Venkatesh Dhond, representing Khan, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, requested that the hearing be held on Tuesday, to which the court agreed.
The dispute stems from an October 10 demonstration at Mumbai's August Kranti Maidan, where Khan was briefly detained by the police. The gathering was held in solidarity with protests in Delhi by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which had demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Following the incident, Mumbai Police issued a notice directing the 43-year-old actor, who holds US citizenship, to leave the country by October 28. Khan, however, denied participating in the demonstration or having any connection with the groups behind it.
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In his petition filed on October 17 through advocate Zulfikar Memon, Khan described the police action as "illegal, arbitrary, perverse and drastic".
His legal team argued that the notice "reflects patent non-application of mind and the arbitrary targeting" of Khan because of his public profile.
The actor has asked the High Court to set aside the departure order and suspend its implementation until the petition is decided. He has sought protection against any coercive action by the authorities during the proceedings.
"Not only is the notice manifestly disproportionate, if implemented, it would reduce the very principles of natural justice that the authorities are duty-bound to uphold, to nothing but a dead letter," the petition read, according to PTI.
Khan has maintained that he neither attended the protest as a participant nor had any association, affiliation or connection with the organisations responsible for conducting it.
Moreover, apart from the Mumbai Police notice, Khan has received a show-cause notice from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO).
The immigration authority has sought an explanation from the actor on why his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status should not be cancelled.
The development raises the stakes in the legal dispute, with Khan facing questions over his continued stay in India and his OCI status.
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According to the police, the departure notice was issued by invoking Sections 7(2)(C) and 29 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, which empowers the government to regulate or restrict the presence of foreign nationals in India, including directing that a person "shall not remain in India or in any specified area therein."
Section 29 provides for the removal of foreign nationals in certain circumstances, including violations of the Act, its rules or orders, and certain security-related grounds.
Authorities have warned that deportation proceedings may follow if Khan does not comply with the October 28 deadline.
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