Bombay HC asks Imran Khan to apologise over anti-CEC protest

The court put on hold a Leave India notice to the US citizen and OCI cardholder after he gave an unconditional apology.

By idly intel

2 Nov, 20:36 IST2 min read

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Written by idly intel with AI help from several outlets' reporting, and checked before it goes live. How idly works

Bombay HC asks Imran Khan to apologise over anti-CEC protest — Image: Times of India

Key facts

Story

Bombay High Court said OCI cardholders do not have the same right to protest as Indian citizens
Actor Imran Khan, a US citizen, apologised and undertook not to join similar protests
The court put on hold a Leave India notice that had asked him to exit the country

The Bombay High Court said on Monday that Overseas Citizen of India cardholders lack a right to protest. It asked actor Imran Khan to apologise for joining a demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Mumbai in October.

Khan gave an unconditional apology to the court. He also promised not to take part in similar protests as an OCI cardholder. A two-judge bench, led by Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi along with Justice Advait Sethna, extended its order putting on hold a notice issued to Khan on 15 October.

The notice and the court's order

The Foreigners Regional Registration Office had told Khan, a US citizen, to leave India by 28 October. The office reportedly linked the order to his part in the protest. A Leave India Notice requires a foreign national to exit within a set time. Failure to comply may result in detention, removal from the country, or being placed on a blacklist.

Khan holds an OCI card, which lets people of foreign nationality with Indian origin live and work in India indefinitely. His lawyer argued in court that the rules do not bar OCI cardholders from taking part in a protest.

Court's position

The court said OCI holders do not enjoy the same rights as Indian citizens, particularly on protests. Anil Singh, the Additional Solicitor General, contended that the Centre holds authority to remove foreigners from the country. The court granted Khan interim relief after his apology.

The court has also kept the notice in abeyance until 2 November, according to a separate report of the hearing. What happens after that date has not been stated. Readers should note that this is an interim order, and the final outcome of the matter has not been reported.