The Bombay High Court will hear actor Imran Khan’s plea on October 26 against a Leave India Notice. The notice asked him to leave India by October 28 after he joined a protest on October 10. His lawyer said, "He has no police record," while challenging the order as arbitrary.
The Bombay High Court has agreed to hear actor Imran Khan's plea on October 26 against the Leave India Notice (LIN) issued by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), asking him to leave India by October 28 after he took part in a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Mumbai on October 10.
The plea was moved before a bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait M Sethna on Monday, seeking urgent hearing in the Imran Khan Leave India Notice case.
The Leave India Notice was issued on October 14 for an alleged violation of the Immigration and Foreigners Act (IFA), 2025, by joining the protest.
Senior advocate Venkatesh Dhond, representing Imran Khan, argued that the actor has been living in India since he was 2 years old and was issued LIN without any show-cause notice or a hearing because "he attempted to attend a protest where he was stopped halfway through and he went back."
"We are placing it on October 26. They (respondents) will get time to take instructions. Are there any criminal antecedents? Join or add state government as party since this is a local matter," the bench said.
"He has no police record. My request is since he has to leave the country by 28th, October 26th might be cutting it very fine or close. I am requesting the matter be heard day after tomorrow or Friday," Dhond said. "October 26 will be fine," the bench said.
Imran Khan had approached the court through advocates Zulfiquar Memon, Parvez Memon, and Chirag Naik of MZM Legal, challenging the 'Leave India Notice' as "unconstitutional, manifestly arbitrary and disproportionate".
Pending disposal of his writ petition, he sought direction from the court to quash and set aside the notice, along with an "immediate stay" on its operation and implementation.
BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had filed a complaint alleging that Imran Khan, the US citizen and OCI cardholder, had violated the law. Following an FIR, the FRRO issued the LIN on October 14.
The actor claimed the authority merely acted "at the behest of and on the timetable of a political functionary who holds office under the IFA".
Meanwhile, the FRRO on Saturday issued a show-cause notice (SCN) to actor Imran Khan, stating that his registration as an OCI cardholder may be liable to cancellation under Section 7D(e) of the Citizenship Act, 1955.