In a developing legal and political controversy, the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Mumbai has served a show-cause notice to Bollywood actor Imran Khan, asking why his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) registration should not be canceled.
The move follows his participation in an anti-CEC demonstration at August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai in support of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
Twin FRRO Notices: Sequence of Events
Imran Khan—a US citizen holding OCI status—has been served two separate official notices by immigration authorities over the past few days:
- ’Leave India’ Notice (October 14): Citing provisions under Sections 7 and 29 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, the Bureau of Immigration directed the actor to leave India on or before October 28, 2026.
- OCI Show-Cause Notice (October 18): A second notice gives Khan 15 days to respond explaining why his OCI status under the Citizenship Act, 1955 should not be formally revoked.
The show-cause notice cites an FIR registered against Khan and other demonstrators for unlawful assembly, as police permission had not been granted for the August Kranti Maidan gathering. However, the FRRO noted that detention and FIR registration alone do not automatically establish grounds for revoking OCI registration, granting the actor a mandatory 15-day hearing window.
Legal and Political Backdrop
- Origin of Complaint: Action was initiated after former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya lodged an official complaint with the Mumbai Police, alleging that Khan misused his OCI status to participate in illegal political agitations.
- Khan’s Stance: During his brief detention on October 10, Khan stated he was attending the site as a resident of Mumbai concerned with restrictions on freedom of speech and movement, rather than representing a political party.
- High Court Challenge: On Saturday, October 17, Khan filed a petition in the Bombay High Court challenging the ‘Leave India’ notice, arguing that it was issued without giving him an opportunity to respond or detailing explicit statutory violations.
