On October 10, 2026, actor Imran Khan took part in a demonstration at Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan. The gathering, organised by the Citizens for Justice and Peace (also referred to in some reports as the Cockroach Janta Party), called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Khan was detained alongside his wife Lekha Washington and a relative named Zayn Marie Khan. The police said the detention followed his participation in the protest.
Shortly after the protest, the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Mumbai issued a ‘Leave India’ notice to Khan. The notice directed him to leave India by October 28. Some chronology entries list the deadline as October 28, 2025, while others place the notice and related actions in October 2026. The notice was issued under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, which bars foreign nationals from engaging in political activity in India.
Imran Khan is a Bollywood actor and the nephew of superstar Aamir Khan. He holds United States citizenship and also possesses an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card. Media reports describe him as a foreign national who lives in the United States but maintains ties to India through the OCI scheme.
However, the Citizenship Act of 1955 expressly keeps political rights—such as voting and standing for election—outside the scope of OCI privileges.
The OCI scheme was introduced in 2005. An OCI card does not confer Indian citizenship. Instead, it gives the holder a lifelong, multiple‑entry visa to India and provides parity with non‑resident Indians in matters of travel, work and property ownership. However, the Citizenship Act of 1955 expressly keeps political rights—such as voting and standing for election—outside the scope of OCI privileges.
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Police said Khan’s participation in the protest violated immigration rules that prohibit foreign nationals, including those holding US citizenship or OCI cards, from taking part in political demonstrations. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had previously approached the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, urging an inquiry, a Look Out Circular and action under the Citizenship Act, arguing that Khan’s status as a US citizen with an OCI card made his involvement in the protest unlawful.
Somaiya filed a complaint against Khan, alleging violation of visa rules and OCI provisions. He told reporters he would visit the Gamdevi Police Station on October 12 at 12:30 p.m. to press for charges, stating that foreign citizens do not enjoy the same rights as Indian citizens in political matters. Khan, speaking in Kannada, said he had come to the city "without any specific demands" and simply as an ordinary citizen living there.
The incident sparked discussion within the film industry, with commentators noting the rarity of a Bollywood figure being asked to leave the country over protest participation. Some pointed out that the case highlights the tension between celebrity activism and the legal limits placed on foreign nationals, even those holding OCI cards.
As of the notice’s date, Khan is expected to depart India by the October 28 deadline unless he challenges the order through legal channels. The case remains a point of reference for how immigration law interacts with the OCI scheme and the rights of foreign nationals to engage in political expression while in India.