Imran Khan Challenges 'Leave India' Notice in Court

Actor Imran Khan has asked the Bombay High Court to set aside a notice directing him to leave India by Oct. 28. The Times of India reported the petition on Oct. 17. The matter is in court and the authorities' side has not been reported, so this story sticks to what the petition says.

What the petition says

The Times of India reports that Imran Khan Pal, described as around 44, e-filed a petition on Saturday challenging a notice issued by the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer in Mumbai on Oct. 14, giving him two weeks to leave. The petition calls the notice "arbitrary, unreasoned and wholly misconceived," and says it was issued without a hearing, in breach of the right to equality under Article 14 and the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Khan says he has lived in India since he was 2 years old and has no criminal antecedents. The petition says the notice does not cite the provisions he is alleged to have contravened and does not disclose any security report. It describes the action as "punitive" and says he is being made a "scapegoat." It also says he has no association with any organisation involved in organising or taking part in the protest.

The background

The paper reports that the notice came within four days of a protest in Mumbai against the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, at which the actor was present. Mid-day's roundup refers to his participation and detention during the protest on Oct. 10. The FRRO invoked the Immigration and Foreigners Act 2025.

On the same day he filed the petition, the FRRO reportedly sent him a fresh show-cause notice asking why action should not be taken against him under the law governing foreigners and Overseas Citizens of India. The petition is expected to be mentioned in court on Monday, according to the Times of India.

Family

Mid-day reports that Aamir Khan met MNS chief Raj Thackeray at his Mumbai residence, Shivtirth, amid his nephew Imran's legal battle. The report does not say what was discussed, and we are not guessing at it.

What we do not know

The coverage we found carries only the petitioner's account. We did not find a statement from the FRRO or the Bureau of Immigration explaining the notice, and the petition itself says the notice does not state reasons. Until the court hears the matter, claims about motive on either side are unproven. Whether the notice is lawful is a question for the High Court.

Why we are covering it

Imran Khan is a Hindi film actor, and a court case that could affect his residence in India is news for the film world. We are reporting it as a legal matter and not as gossip. We have not included opinions from social media, and we have not characterised the protest or the electoral roll exercise, which are outside this story.

What we could not confirm

We could not confirm the notice's text, as only the petition's description is reported. We could not confirm the outcome of the Monday mention. We could not confirm any official reason for the notice, and no official response was available in what we reviewed. Imran Khan's age is given as around 44 by the Times of India and is not independently confirmed.

Sources

*Cover photo: Bhatnagarritam, Wikimedia Commons, *[*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Imran_Khan_making_a_public_comeback_at_IFP_after_almost_a_decade.jpg*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Imran_Khan_making_a_public_comeback_at_IFP_after_almost_a_decade.jpg)* (CC BY-SA 4.0).*