Imran Khan gets last-minute relief; Bombay HC halts exit order a day before deadline

MUMBAI: Actor Imran Khan has received temporary relief from a directive asking him to leave India by October 28. The Bombay High Court on Tuesday, October 27, kept the Leave India Notice issued by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in abeyance until November 2. The Centre assured the court that no coercive action would be taken against him in the meantime.

Imran Khan had approached the High Court challenging the notice issued on October 14 under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. The directive followed an FIR concerning his alleged participation in a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Imran, a US citizen and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder, has denied participating in the protest and said he had no association with the organisers. In his petition, he challenged the notice as arbitrary and unconstitutional. Senior advocate Venkatesh Dhond appeared for Imran, while Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh represented the Centre at the hearing. Imran Khan's counsel highlighted that the October 28 deadline was approaching and sought protection against coercive action. The Centre assured the court that no such action would be taken until the next hearing.

The bench subsequently directed that the challenged notice remain in abeyance until November 2, when the matter is scheduled to be heard again. The order provides interim relief to Imran Khan but does not amount to a final ruling on the validity of the notice.

Imran Khan was briefly detained by Mumbai Police on October 10 near August Kranti Maidan, where a gathering was planned in solidarity with the Cockroach Janata Party's agitation in Delhi. The agitation called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the SIR exercise. Imran Khan's partner, Lekha Washington, and his cousin, Zayn Marie Khan, were also reported to have been detained.

In a separate development, the FRRO issued a show-cause notice concerning the possible cancellation of Imran Khan's OCI registration. The notice asked him to explain why his OCI status should not be revoked. This is a separate proceeding from the directive requiring him to leave India.