Mumbai Police serve Imran Khan notice to leave India by October 28 after protest

Bollywood actor Imran Khan is in the news not for films but for taking part in a protest. Mumbai Police have reportedly served the nephew of Aamir Khan a notice to leave India by October 28, 2026.

The action follows his participation in a demonstration at Mumbai's August Kranti Maidan, held to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Imran is a US citizen and lives in India as an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder. This has set off a discussion on his citizenship status and the rules governing foreign nationals' participation in political protests.

Imran Khan is an actor and a producer-director in Hindi films. He was born on January 13, 1983, in Madison in the United States. He is the nephew of Aamir Khan and of producer-director Mansoor Khan. His maternal uncle Nasir Hussain was also a well-known producer and director in the Hindi film industry. Imran began acting in films at a young age and later made his name in Bollywood as a lead actor.

He went to Bombay Scottish School in Mumbai and then studied at Blue Mountain School in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. He also spent some time at a gurukul in Ooty. He later moved to California in the US, to his father's home in Sunnyvale, and studied at Fremont High School there.

Interested in filmmaking as well as acting, he studied film production at the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles. After returning to India, he trained in acting at the Kishore Namit Kapoor Acting Institute in Mumbai. His education was thus in both India and the US.

The protest took place at August Kranti Maidan on October 10, 2026. It was organised in support of the 'Cockroach Janta Party' (CJP). There were allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and the protesters demanded Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over them.

Mumbai Police say no permission had been taken for the protest. They also said that Azad Maidan has been designated for protests as per the directions of the Bombay High Court. People associated with the CJP claim that they had sought permission from the police by email but received no reply. More than 400 people were reported to have been detained at the time, including Imran Khan.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya filed a complaint with Mumbai Police on October 12. Citing Imran's US citizenship and OCI card, he asked how a foreign national could take part in a political protest and demanded action against the actor.

According to reports that emerged on October 15, Mumbai Police have served Imran Khan a notice to leave India by October 28, 2026. The police say action has been taken against him under immigration laws for taking part in a political protest despite not being an Indian citizen.