Actor Imran Khan Apologises to Bombay High Court Over Mumbai SIR Protest

Actor Imran Khan tendered an unconditional apology before the Bombay High Court on 2 November 2026 for participating in protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Mumbai.

Khan, a 43-year-old U.S. citizen who holds an Overseas Citizen of India card, joined a demonstration at August Kranti Maidan on 10 October that demanded Kumar’s resignation over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Nearly 400 people were detained that day. The Foreigners Regional Registration Office later issued a Leave India Notice requiring him to depart by 28 October under the Immigration Act.

During the hearing, the court observed that Khan was not remotely affected by the Special Intensive Revision and could not be placed on the same footing as Indian citizens. Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi noted that an OCI cardholder does not have a right to criticise the country while residing in India and suggested he could protest in the United States. The court asked him to apologise on oath or give an undertaking that he would not repeat the conduct.

Khan provided the undertaking in court. The High Court stayed the Leave India Notice until 7 December, the date of the next hearing. He assured the court he would not participate in future protests of this kind while in India.

The Special Intensive Revision is an ongoing exercise to update electoral rolls in several states ahead of elections. Protests have focused on alleged irregularities and on the role of the Election Commission. Khan’s participation as an OCI cardholder brought the legal status of non-citizen residents into the discussion. OCI holders have residency and certain economic rights but do not hold voting rights and are subject to immigration rules that can include removal for activities the authorities deem contrary to public interest.

The court’s remarks distinguish between the rights of citizens and those of OCI cardholders in matters of political protest. The stay until 7 December gives Khan time to remain in India while the plea against the notice is considered. The apology and undertaking address the immediate requirement set by the bench; the broader question of whether the Leave India Notice will ultimately be upheld remains for the next hearing.

For OCI cardholders, the case illustrates the practical limits on political activity inside India. Participation in a protest that leads to detention can trigger immigration action even when the individual is not a citizen of the country whose institutions are being criticised. The confirmed outcomes as of 2 November are the apology, the undertaking not to protest again, and the temporary hold on the departure notice until 7 December.