MUMBAI: Actor Imran Khan has received temporary relief after the Centre assured the Bombay High Court that no coercive action would be taken against him until November 2 over a notice directing him to leave India by October 28.
The High Court adjourned the hearing on Khan’s petition challenging the departure notice issued by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Mumbai. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna is hearing the matter, which will come up again on November 2.
Khan approached the court on October 17, challenging the order directing him to leave the country. He has sought the cancellation of the notice and a stay on its implementation while the petition remains pending.
The case stems from a protest held at Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan on October 10 in solidarity with demonstrations in Delhi. The protest was organised in support of demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Khan was briefly detained during the Mumbai demonstration. He has maintained that he did not participate in the protest and has no connection with the organisers or any organisation involved in the event.
The actor has described the departure notice as illegal, arbitrary and disproportionate. His petition argues that the decision reflects a failure to properly assess the circumstances and amounts to unfair targeting because of his public profile.
The notice warned that failure to leave India by October 28 could result in deportation proceedings.
Meanwhile, Khan has also received a show cause notice from the FRRO seeking an explanation on why his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status should not be revoked.
The departure order invokes Sections 7(2)(C) and 29 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, which provide for restrictions on the stay of foreign nationals and their removal in specified circumstances.
Khan is seeking protection against further action while the legal challenge is heard. The Centre’s assurance provides temporary relief until the next hearing, but the underlying dispute over the validity of the notice remains unresolved.
