Actor Imran Khan has approached the Bombay High Court challenging a directive issued by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) requiring him to leave India by October 28, alleging that the order was issued arbitrarily and in violation of procedural safeguards governing Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders.
In his petition, titled Imran Khan Pal v. Union of India & Ors., Khan has challenged the October 14 order issued under Section 7(2)(c) read with Section 29 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. He has sought the quashing of the directive and an interim stay on its operation, along with protection against coercive measures, including deportation, issuance of a lookout notice, blacklisting and interference with his OCI status.
The petition alleges that the authorities acted in undue haste after Khan was detained briefly during a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He was detained by Mumbai Police on October 10 in connection with the demonstrations and released the same day.
According to the plea, the expulsion directive was issued without an independent assessment of the circumstances and was allegedly influenced by social media campaigns involving political functionaries. Khan has contended that requiring him to leave the country following a brief detention is disproportionate, particularly given his longstanding ties with India.
A principal ground of challenge is that the impugned notice allegedly fails to identify the specific statutory provision violated, the conduct constituting the alleged contravention or the material forming the basis of the decision. The petition describes the directive as generic and non-speaking, arguing that the absence of specific reasons deprives him of a meaningful opportunity to respond to the allegations.
Khan has further argued that untested allegations relating to minor, bailable offences cannot, by themselves, furnish sufficient justification for directing him to leave India. He has highlighted that he has lived in the country for more than four decades and has held OCI registration since 2006.
The actor has also invoked Section 7D of the Citizenship Act, 1955, which prescribes the legal framework for cancellation of OCI registration. According to the petition, the statutory scheme requires compliance with procedural safeguards, including a show-cause notice and a reasonable opportunity of hearing, before such registration can be cancelled. He has contended that the authorities cannot circumvent these protections by issuing an expulsion directive without following the applicable legal process.
The FRRO issued a separate show-cause notice on October 17, asking Khan to explain why his OCI registration should not be cancelled under Section 7D of the Citizenship Act.
The plea also relies on Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, which guarantee equality before the law and protection of life and personal liberty. Khan has argued that these constitutional protections extend to all persons within India’s territory and that executive action affecting his continued stay in the country must satisfy the requirements of fairness and due process.
Apart from seeking the quashing of the October 14 directive, Khan has urged the High Court to stay its operation and restrain the authorities from initiating coercive action while the matter remains pending. He has also sought disclosure of the official records and material relied upon in issuing the order.
The actor is represented by advocates Zulfiquar Memon, Parvez Memon and Chirag Naik of MZM Legal. The matter is expected to be mentioned before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna on October 19.
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