Bombay High Court stalls FRRO order to send actor Imran Khan out of India

The Bombay High Court ordered a stay on the Foreigners Regional Registration Office’s notice that required actor Imran Khan to leave India by Oct 28. The suspension will stay in place until the case is heard again on Nov 2. A two‑judge bench led by Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi together with Justice Advait Sethna issued the direction after the centre asked for more time to reply to Khan’s petition and promised that no forceful action would be taken in the meantime. During the hearing the Additional Solicitor General, on behalf of the government, asked that the matter be listed for Nov 2, while senior advocate Venkatesh Dhond, representing Khan, highlighted that the FRRO notice demanded his departure the next day. The government lawyer then assured the judges that no step would be taken against Khan before the next date. The court adjourned and ordered the challenged FRRO directive to remain suspended until the next hearing. Khan filed his petition on Oct 17 to cancel the Oct 14 “Leave India Notice” and to obtain interim protection from deportation, lookout notices and any impact on his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status. The notice followed a short police detention after he joined protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and a complaint by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya over alleged public‑order violations. In his filing, Khan said the notice was issued because he tried to attend the protest, that authorities acted hastily without a hearing, and that political pressure and social‑media campaigns swayed the decision. He also argued that officials bypassed the safeguards in Section 7D of the Citizenship Act, which governs OCI cancellation. On Oct 17 the FRRO sent a separate show‑cause notice under the same section about possibly cancelling his OCI, but that notice was not part of the current petition. Khan asked the court to order the government to produce internal records related to the decision to issue the notice. The matter will be heard again on Nov 2 at 3 pm, and the FRRO order for Khan to leave remains on hold.

Context

The FRRO can issue leave notices to foreign nationals, including holders of an Overseas Citizen of India card, which allows Indians living abroad to stay in India for extended periods. Courts often stay such orders while hearing challenges, giving the affected person temporary relief until a full decision is made.