October 16, 2026: From a Mumbai protest to a ‘Leave India’ notice, Imran Khan finds himself in a real life drama with the Bombay High Court potentially becoming the next battleground.
Bollywood actor Imran Khan’s latest controversy has taken a dramatic turn. Days after joining a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Mumbai, the 43 year old actor has been directed by Mumbai Police to leave India by October 28. Now, he is preparing to challenge the notice in the Bombay High Court, setting the stage for a legal battle over the rights of foreign nationals and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders.
Khan, who holds American citizenship and an OCI card, participated in a demonstration organised by the Cockroach Janta Party at August Kranti Maidan on October 10. Police briefly detained him during the protest. The subsequent notice, issued under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, has turned the incident into a wider debate about political expression, citizenship and the limits of public protest.
According to a PTI report, Khan is expected to move the Bombay High Court through his advocate, Zulfiquar Memon, seeking to challenge the notice and secure an urgent hearing. The petition could be filed on Friday or Monday before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna.
The proposed plea argues that no provision of law or rule specifically prohibits an OCI cardholder from participating in a peaceful protest. It describes the police notice as drastic and questions the legal basis for directing Khan to leave the country.
Exit Notice After Protest: Imran Khan’s Next Move Is the Big Question
The case reportedly invokes Sections 7 and 29 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. Section 7 empowers the government to regulate the entry, departure, presence and movement of foreign nationals in India, while Section 29 deals with their removal in specified circumstances, including violations of the law or an adverse security report.
The controversy has also brought the distinction between citizenship and OCI status into sharp focus. A Union Home Ministry official said an OCI card does not grant the political rights available to Indian citizens, including the same constitutional protections concerning freedom of speech and peaceful assembly.
The official, however, cautioned that a complaint or an alleged visa violation does not automatically establish an offence or justify deportation. The law also requires a reasonable opportunity to be heard before an OCI registration is cancelled under Section 7D, the official said.
For Khan, the drama began on the streets of Mumbai. He attended the October 10 protest alongside his cousin Zayn Marie Khan and partner Lekha Washington. Videos showing the actor being pushed into a police van quickly spread across social media, putting him at the centre of a national conversation.
Rather than appearing rattled, Imran Khan posted a photograph of himself inside the police vehicle, flashing a victory sign. “Apparently I’m going for a drive,” he wrote, adding a touch of irreverence to an otherwise serious episode.
Speaking to reporters after his detention, Imran Khan said he had joined the demonstration as a resident of Mumbai, not to press a specific demand.
“I don’t have demands. I am here as a citizen, as a person who lives in this city,” he said, questioning restrictions on freedom of movement and asking why people’s voices were being suppressed.
His comments won him support online, with some users praising the actor for speaking out when much of the film industry had remained quiet on the protests. The episode also triggered a flood of memes referencing his 2008 debut film, Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na, particularly its character Ranjore.
But not everyone was cheering from the sidelines. BJP leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya called for Imran Khan’s deportation, urging authorities to verify his citizenship and questioning whether a foreign national should participate in a political agitation in India.
Senior advocate and politician Majeed Memon, meanwhile, defended the actor, arguing that peaceful participation in a protest should not automatically invite objections simply because someone holds foreign citizenship. He maintained that Khan had joined a crowd expressing concern over issues it considered contrary to democratic principles and the public interest.
The citizenship question is not new for Imran Khan. In 2011, he spoke publicly about efforts to obtain an Indian passport, saying he wanted to serve the country. He also acknowledged that he could not vote in India because he was not an Indian citizen, but believed he could encourage electoral participation by raising awareness about the importance of voting.
The latest episode is not the first time Khan has spoken out on a public issue. In July, he criticised Delhi Police action against students protesting the alleged NEET examination paper leak, expressing frustration over young people who felt the system had failed them.
Professionally, Imran Khan has kept a relatively low profile since Katti Batti in 2015, later citing burnout and a desire to step away from the pressures of the film industry. He returned briefly with a cameo in Happy Patel: Khatarnaak Jasoos, directed by Vir Das and produced by his uncle Aamir Khan. He is also expected to return in the Netflix film Adhure Hum Adhure Tum, co starring Bhumi Pednekar.
For now, however, it is the legal drama rather than a film release that has put Khan back in the headlines. His next move could be in court, where the challenge will centre on the legal grounds for the notice and the protections available to someone with OCI status.
Whether the dispute ends with a court hearing or develops into a larger debate over immigration rules and peaceful protest, one thing is clear: a brief appearance at a Mumbai demonstration has turned into a consequential chapter in Imran Khan’s public life.