Actor Imran Khan, nephew of Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, has been issued a notice by Mumbai Police directing him to leave India by October 28 over his participation in a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Mumbai Police said action had been taken against Khan under the relevant provision of the Immigration Act because he participated in the demonstration despite not being an Indian citizen.
The actor was among hundreds of protesters detained across Mumbai on October 10 for allegedly holding demonstrations without permission in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest in Delhi.
The demonstrations were held at August Kranti Maidan, Hutatma Chowk and other locations in Mumbai.
The protesters were demanding Kumar’s resignation amid allegations relating to voter-list manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and changes concerning Form 6, which is used for voter registration.
According to news agency PTI, around 600 people were detained from different locations across Mumbai. A police official said around 200 people who had assembled at August Kranti Maidan were among those detained.
Khan was detained at August Kranti Maidan in south Mumbai and taken away in a police vehicle.
Imran Khan’s Remarks During Detention
Following his detention on October 10, Khan posted on a social media platform from a police van, saying, “Apparently, I am going for a drive."
A video that surfaced later showed the actor responding to a reporter’s question about his participation in the protest as he was being taken into the police vehicle
“I have no demands. I am not part of any organisation," Khan said in the video.
He was also seen questioning the police action, asking, “What have I done? Why am I being manhandled?"
The police had detained protesters at multiple locations in the city, with several demonstrators alleging that they were manhandled during the action.
Authorities maintained that August Kranti Maidan was not a designated protest site in accordance with a Bombay High Court order, prompting preventive action to maintain law and order.
Kirit Somaiya Seeks Action Against Actor
On October 11, former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya urged Mumbai Police to investigate Khan’s participation in the demonstration, questioning whether the actor was legally permitted to join the protest despite being a “foreign citizen".
In a letter to Mumbai Joint Commissioner of Police Manoj Kumar Sharma, Somaiya sought clarity on whether Khan had obtained permission to participate in the agitation. He also called for appropriate action following an investigation into the matter.
In a post on X, Somaiya said the actor should be deported immediately. He also questioned whether a foreign citizen could participate in such demonstrations.
Protests Against Chief Election Commissioner
The Mumbai demonstrations were held in solidarity with the CJP’s planned mobilisation in New Delhi, where protesters had called for Kumar’s resignation.
Additional police personnel were deployed at Shivaji Park in Dadar to prevent CJP members from staging a demonstration, while security was stepped up at other locations in the city.
In Delhi, a major security clampdown and the detention of more than 7,000 protesters, including CJP leader Abhijit Dipke, four former chief ministers and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, thwarted the planned mass mobilisation at Jantar Mantar on October 10.
