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Filmmaker Kiran Rao has voiced support for Imran Khan following reports of an FRRO notice directing the actor to leave India by October 28. (Img: Pinterest)
Mumbai: Filmmaker Kiran Rao has come out in support of actor Imran Khan after the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) reportedly directed him to leave India by October 28, questioning the circumstances surrounding the notice and expressing disbelief over the action.
Reacting to the development on social media, Rao questioned the involvement of the Mumbai Police and highlighted Khan’s longstanding personal and professional association with India. She pointed out that the actor had spent much of his life in the country, where he had studied, built his career, experienced success and setbacks, and formed personal relationships.
In her reaction, Rao wrote, “Wah, now it's Mumbai police?” Her remarks came amid a wider debate over the notice issued to Khan following his participation in a public demonstration in Mumbai. Actor Saba Azad also voiced her disapproval of the development, reacting sharply to the reported direction requiring Khan to leave the country.
Khan, the nephew of actor Aamir Khan, reportedly attended a demonstration organised by the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJP) at August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai on October 10. The protest called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Khan’s girlfriend, actor Lekha Washington, was also reportedly present at the demonstration. Both were among those detained by the Mumbai Police during the protest.
The matter subsequently drew the attention of BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, who lodged a complaint concerning Khan’s participation. The complaint was reportedly forwarded to the FRRO, following which the actor received the notice directing him to leave India by October 28.
Khan holds a United States passport and an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card. The reported notice invokes provisions of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, and warns of possible prosecution if he fails to comply with the direction to depart within the stipulated period.
OCI status allows eligible foreign citizens certain privileges in India but does not confer Indian citizenship. The legal implications of Khan’s participation in the protest, and the basis for the direction issued against him, may therefore become significant issues in the proceedings.
Khan’s lawyer, Zulfikar Memon, has reportedly indicated that the actor intends to challenge the notice before the Bombay High Court.
The proposed challenge is expected to contest the legal basis for the direction, including whether the applicable law permits such action in the circumstances alleged. The question of whether participation in a protest can justify the action taken against an OCI cardholder may also arise, depending on the grounds set out in the notice and the arguments advanced before the court.
The matter could bring into focus the legal framework governing OCI cardholders, the conditions attached to their status, and the extent to which action may be taken against foreign nationals for participating in public demonstrations. No judicial determination on the legality of the notice has been reported so far.
