Actor Imran Khan told to leave India by October 28 after anti-CEC protest

Actor Imran Khan, a nephew of Aamir Khan, has been directed to leave India by October 28, 2026, after he took part in a protest in Mumbai against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The notice, reported on Thursday, October 15, 2026, was issued through the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Mumbai with the Mumbai Police. Khan is a citizen of the United States and holds an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card. Officials say that as a foreign national he was not allowed to join a political demonstration. The action followed a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kirit Somaiya.

The case puts a spotlight on a question many people of Indian origin abroad rarely think about: what an OCI card does and does not allow. The card lets foreign citizens of Indian origin live and work in India without a visa, and it is widely held across the diaspora. It is not citizenship. Its holders remain foreign nationals under Indian law, and the authorities have now made clear that they treat joining a political protest as outside what a foreigner may do.

The protest itself was political. Demonstrators at August Kranti Maidan were demanding that the Chief Election Commissioner step down, and reports say members of a group calling itself the Cockroach Janta Party took part. Khan, who has acted in Hindi films, posted a photograph from a police van after he was detained, with the caption "Apparently I'm going for a drive." He later told reporters that he went as a Mumbai resident and was not putting forward specific demands, and he questioned limits on people's freedom of movement.

Kirit Somaiya had demanded the actor's arrest and deportation, saying he had given the police evidence of Khan's speeches at the protest and of earlier remarks. The notice followed that complaint. No reaction from Khan to the notice itself, and no court challenge, had been reported at the time of writing.

Short-term: Khan has about two weeks either to comply or to seek legal relief. If he does not leave by October 28, the authorities can take further steps for his removal. The FIR for unlawful assembly is a separate matter that will follow its own course. The case is also likely to add to the political argument over the Election Commission, whose chief was the target of the protest.

Long-term: The notice signals how strictly the new immigration law may be applied to foreign nationals, including OCI holders, who take part in political activity in India. It may lead to closer reading of OCI conditions by members of the diaspora who live in India, and possibly to court cases testing the limits of what they can do.

Who is affected: Imran Khan and his family; OCI cardholders living in India, who may now be more cautious about attending protests or political events; protest organisers; and the Election Commission, whose leadership was the target of the demonstration.

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