Anti-CEC protest: Actor Imran Khan issued notice, asked to leave India by October 28

Actor Imran Khan has been issued notice for the violation of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, and has been asked to leave India by October 28, Mumbai Police said on Thursday (October 15, 2026). Mr. Khan is a foreign national. The action comes after he participated in the protest in Mumbai on October 10, seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The notice has been issued by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Mumbai. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Branch 2 is the designated Foreigners Regional Registration Officer. “Mr. Khan’s acts are in violation of visa conditions and the provisions of Foreigners Act. Suo motu action has been initiated in the matter. Law will take its due course. Process is going on,” a senior officer told The Hindu. Under provisions of the Act, foreign nationals do not have the fundamental right to protest or participate in political activities in India.

Action against the actor has been initiated under Section 7 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, senior officials told The Hindu. This Section codifies the broad sovereign powers of the Central Government to restrict, regulate, and control the movement of foreign nationals within India. Under these provisions, the Central Government holds the absolute power to issue orders, directions, or instructions to prohibit, regulate, or restrict the entry of foreigners into India, their departure from India, and their presence or continued presence inside the country.

Police denied acting on any private complaint. An official said that the action had been initiated on a suo motu basis.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya expressed satisfaction about the action. “Money is coming from Pakistan, foreign countries are powering this. These foreign nationals are trying to spread anarchy in the country. I had filed a complaint against American citizen Imran Khan. Now, he has been directed to leave India by October 28. Whether it is Imran, Iqbal, Yusuf, Abdul, whoever is a foreign national and is funded by foreign funds, will face similar action,” he said.

The Opposition parties hit out at the government over the issuance of notice to Mr. Khan. NCP SP parliamentarian Supriya Sule said that everyone has the right to protest. “Several of our friends live in foreign countries. They participate in protests. Nobody throws them out of the country,” she said. Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut said that several celebrities hold NRI status. “Imran Khan participated in the anti-CEC protest. If he has been asked to leave for supporting the young generation, then the government is scared,” he said.

Imran Khan, who is the nephew of actor Amir Khan, has acted in several Indian films. He had recently joined the protesters in Mumbai. It was organised in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party to seek the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He was briefly detained by the police during that protest on October 10. He had also posted his picture on his social media platforms from inside a police van. “Apparently, I’m going for a drive,” he had said in the caption.