Imran Khan leave India notice: Bombay HC to hear actor's plea on October 26

The Bombay High Court will hear on October 26 a petition filed by actor Imran Khan a US citizen and Overseas Citizen of India OCI cardholder challenging a Mumbai Police notice directing him to leave India by October 28 for allegedly attending a political protest reported the PTIA bench comprising Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna fixed the hearing date on Monday after senior counsel Venkatesh Dhond appearing for Khan sought an urgent hearing the news agency reportedAdditional Solicitor General Anil Singh representing the Union government sought time to respond stating that he had received a copy of the petition only on Monday morningDhond requested an earlier hearing pointing out that the police notice required Imran Khan to leave the country by October 28 The court however scheduled the matter for October 26 and directed Khan to add the Maharashtra government as a respondentLawyer says actor has no criminal antecedentsDuring the hearing the court asked whether any other criminal cases were pending against Khan Dhond replied that there were noneldquoHe has no criminal antecedents and no case filed or pending against him He has been living in India since he was two years oldrdquo Dhond told the court according to the PTIThe lawyer also submitted that Khan had not attended the protest and had been detained by police when he was only halfway there before being releasedActor challenges police noticeKhan approached the High Court on October 17 seeking to quash the notice directing him to leave India His petition describes the notice as ldquoillegal arbitrary perverse and drasticrdquo as per the PTIFiled through advocate Zulfiquar Memon and MZM Legal the plea alleges that the police acted without properly applying their mind and arbitrarily targeted Khan because he is a public figureThe actor has sought a stay on the notice while his petition is pending and requested that the authorities be restrained from taking coercive action against himThe plea argues that the notice was issued without disclosing reasons or supporting material and without giving him an opportunity to respond to the alleged violationsFRRO issues showcause notice over OCI statusKhan has also received a showcause notice from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office FRRO asking him to explain why his OCI status should not be revoked according to his lawyerThe 43yearold actor was briefly detained during a protest at Mumbais August Kranti Maidan on October 10 The demonstration was organised in solidarity with protests by the Cockroach Janta Party in Delhi which has been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision SIR of electoral rollsKhan has claimed that he had no association or affiliation with any organisation involved in organising the protestPolice cite Immigration and Foreigners ActAccording to police the departure notice was issued under Sections 72c and 29 of the Immigration and Foreigners ActSection 72c empowers the government to regulate or restrict a foreign nationals presence in India or in a specified area Section 29 provides for the removal of a foreign national in circumstances covered by the Act including certain violations of its provisions or ordersKhan the nephew of Bollywood actor Aamir Khan was directed to leave India on or before October 28 The police notice states that deportation proceedings may be initiated under Section 29 if he fails to complyThe High Court is scheduled to hear Khans challenge on October 26 two days before the deadline stated in the noticewith PTI inputs