A notice directing Bollywood actor Imran Khan to leave the country was issued in connection with his attendance at an anti-government demonstration in Delhi, after which Shaik Baji, a spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party in Andhra Pradesh, made public remarks about the actor. Baji informed a television news channel that a rally directed against the government had been under way in Delhi.
Bollywood actor Imran Khan, who holds American citizenship, took part in the event. Baji added that a notice from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office — a body functioning under the Union Home Ministry — had been served on Khan, directing his departure from the country, and that Imran Khan is a nephew of Aamir Khan.
Khan's screen credits amount to a handful of film appearances. Questions have been raised by some observers about whether his participation in the protest conflicts with broader national priorities.
Mumbai Police served Imran Khan with a formal notice on 15 October, ordering his departure from the country no later than 28 October. Documentation on file indicates that Khan holds a United States passport.
BJP figure Kirit Somaiya has called for the arrest and removal of Imran Khan from the country, citing what he described as breaches of Overseas Citizen of India card conditions and the terms attached to Khan's visa. Documentation handed to police by Somaiya covered Khan's protest-era addresses alongside earlier statements, with a request attached for law enforcement to act without delay.
Somaiya alleged that Khan's conduct amounted to a form of political extremism and that his participation in what Somaiya characterised as an unauthorised political agitation represented a misuse of his OCI standing. Somaiya further stated that the behaviour Khan exhibited during his time in the country falls outside what the population there would tolerate. Allegations that Khan exploited his OCI card status have been raised, though his standing as an American citizen remains a matter of record.
Documentation covering his addresses at the demonstration and remarks made beforehand was handed over to police. Proceedings are now under way against Imran Khan on charges framed under Sections 29 and 7 of the Immigration Act, tied to his attendance at the gathering as a non-citizen.
Khan was detained by officers on Saturday as the protest unfolded nearby. Following his detention, Imran Khan shared a photograph taken inside a police van, adding a caption that described the situation as going for a drive. Speaking to journalists, he said he had come to the protest as an ordinary Mumbai resident without any particular set of demands, and raised questions about constraints on people's freedom of movement and the narrowing of space for public expression.
Lawyers representing Imran Khan have told a news channel that a petition contesting the Leave India notice is being prepared for submission to the Bombay High Court, with the filing anticipated within the coming week. The grounds on which the appeal rests have not been made public.