Imran Khan Labels FRRO's Leave India Notice Unconstitutional, Seeks Interim Relief

Actor Imran Khan approached the Bombay High Court on Saturday to contest a Leave India Notice issued by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office. The notice, dated October 14, gives Khan until October 28 to leave the country.

In his petition, Khan described the LIN as a "non‑real" instrument, alleging it was issued arbitrarily and as an abuse of power. He asks the court to nullify the notice and halt its implementation pending a full hearing.

The filing points out that the notice does not cite any specific clause of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 that Khan allegedly breached. Instead, it merely identifies him as an American national while ignoring his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status, which entitles him to lifelong residence under the Citizenship Act, 1955.

Khan was detained on October 10 after joining a protest near August Kranti Maidan against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. A complaint lodged by a BJP leader claimed the actor, as a foreign national, broke immigration law.

The petition argues that the protest ban was imposed by local police, not under the 2025 Act, and that the venue was not listed as a restricted area by the central government. Consequently, no condition of his OCI status was violated.

Legal counsel from MZM Legal, including senior advocates Julfikar Memon, Parvez Memon, and Chirag Naik, sought interim relief to prevent any punitive action by authorities while the case is adjudicated. They requested the bench led by Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi to schedule an urgent hearing.

According to the petition, Khan never attempted to cross any barricade and was on his way back to his vehicle when police asked him to leave. He was arrested only after journalists surrounded him for a statement.

The court’s decision on the interim relief request is expected shortly, with a full hearing likely to be set in the coming weeks.