The Bombay High Court will hear actor Imran Khan’s petition challenging a directive issued by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) asking him to leave India on October 26. The actor has challenged the October 14 notice, arguing that it was issued without giving him a prior hearing and violated his rights as an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder.
The matter was mentioned before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna on Monday. Senior advocate Venkatesh Dhond, appearing for Khan, told the court that the actor had received the notice after attempting to attend a protest, where he was stopped midway and had to return.
Dhond informed the bench that the Central government had been served a copy of the petition and requested an early hearing on October 21. However, the court scheduled the matter for October 26 to allow the FRRO time to obtain instructions on the petition.
During the hearing, the bench also asked Khan’s lawyers to implead the Maharashtra government as a party to the case so that the court could ascertain whether the actor had any criminal antecedents.
“Are there any criminal antecedents? Join State as party, so that in case. This is a local matter. So make State of Maharashtra a party,” the court said.
In his petition, Khan has questioned the circumstances and manner in which the October 14 directive was issued. He has alleged that the authorities acted in haste without giving him an opportunity to present his case and bypassed the statutory protections available to him as an OCI cardholder. The actor has also claimed that the action followed social media campaigns targeting him by political figures.
According to the petition, the authorities issued the directive under public pressure rather than through an independent assessment of the circumstances. Khan has sought the quashing of the October 14 notice and an interim stay on its operation. He has also asked the court to restrain authorities from taking coercive steps, including deportation, issuing lookout notices, blacklisting him or interfering with his OCI status.
Additionally, the actor has sought the production of internal records relating to the decision to direct him to leave India.
The directive was issued after Khan was briefly detained by the police following his participation in demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The Bombay High Court will hear actor Imran Khan’s petition challenging a directive issued by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) asking him to leave India on October 26. The actor has challenged the October 14 notice, arguing that it was issued without giving him a prior hearing and violated his rights as an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder.
The matter was mentioned before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna on Monday. Senior advocate Venkatesh Dhond, appearing for Khan, told the court that the actor had received the notice after attempting to attend a protest, where he was stopped midway and had to return.
Dhond informed the bench that the Central government had been served a copy of the petition and requested an early hearing on October 21. However, the court scheduled the matter for October 26 to allow the FRRO time to obtain instructions on the petition.
During the hearing, the bench also asked Khan’s lawyers to implead the Maharashtra government as a party to the case so that the court could ascertain whether the actor had any criminal antecedents.
“Are there any criminal antecedents? Join State as party, so that in case. This is a local matter. So make State of Maharashtra a party,” the court said.
In his petition, Khan has questioned the circumstances and manner in which the October 14 directive was issued. He has alleged that the authorities acted in haste without giving him an opportunity to present his case and bypassed the statutory protections available to him as an OCI cardholder. The actor has also claimed that the action followed social media campaigns targeting him by political figures.
According to the petition, the authorities issued the directive under public pressure rather than through an independent assessment of the circumstances. Khan has sought the quashing of the October 14 notice and an interim stay on its operation. He has also asked the court to restrain authorities from taking coercive steps, including deportation, issuing lookout notices, blacklisting him or interfering with his OCI status.
Additionally, the actor has sought the production of internal records relating to the decision to direct him to leave India.
The directive was issued after Khan was briefly detained by the police following his participation in demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.