Bollywood actor Imran Khan has secured a significant legal win as the Bombay High Court extended the stay on his ‘Leave India’ notice until December 7. The actor, who is an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder, had been directed by the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) to leave the country by October 28 following his alleged involvement in a protest regarding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. With this latest court order, the interim protection remains in force, allowing the actor to continue residing in India while the legal battle continues.
In his writ petition, Imran Khan challenged the FRRO’s decision, arguing that the notice was issued without providing him a fair opportunity to be heard or specifying which provisions of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, he had supposedly violated. The actor, who has lived in India since he was two years old, maintains that he was not an organizer or a participant in the protest held on October 10 near August Kranti Maidan. According to his account, he was merely observing the situation when he was surrounded by media and subsequently detained by police, an incident that later led to an FIR being filed against him.
The actor’s legal team contends that the deportation order is disproportionate and lacks a solid foundation, noting that no chargesheet had been filed at the time the notice was issued. While the FRRO has since provided a show-cause notice regarding the potential cancellation of his OCI registration, Khan’s petition argues that the initial directive to leave the country was procedurally flawed. He is now seeking to have the notice quashed entirely, emphasizing his deep-rooted personal and professional ties to India and requesting protection against any further coercive actions like deportation or blacklisting.