Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Actor Imran Khan shared a family hug with his wife, Lekha Washington, and cousin Zayn Marie Khan as he prepared to challenge an order directing him to leave India. Zayn posted the photograph on Instagram on October 15, days after the three were detained during a protest in Mumbai.
Lekha also shared a selfie with Imran from inside a police van following their detention. The three had gone to August Kranti Maidan amid a demonstration seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Imran now plans to challenge both the Mumbai Police summons over his participation and the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer’s order asking him to leave the country.
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In Zayn’s photograph, Imran, Lekha and Zayn are seen embracing after returning home.
Check the post by Zayn and Lekha here:
Videos and photographs of the three being escorted into a police van had surfaced earlier. They later confirmed on social media that they had been released.
Imran had shared a photograph from inside the police van with the caption, “Apparently, I am going for a ride.” His participation prompted fans to call him the real “Ranjhore Ka Rathore”, a playful reference to his character in his debut film, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na.
Lekha also posted a reel that night confirming they were safe, followed by an Instagram Story showing her embracing Imran and Zayn. Zayn, Aamir Khan’s niece, later shared a reel showing marks on her arms, fingers and legs, which she said were bruises sustained during the police action.
Lekha recounts the detention
In a detailed social media post, Lekha said she, Imran, Zayn, Imran’s mother Nuzhat and others had walked towards August Kranti Maidan at around 5 pm on Saturday to enquire about friends who had been detained.
She said no gathering was under way at the venue, while police barricades had been placed around the area and several media personnel were present. Reporters surrounded Imran, who briefly answered their questions.
“He responded to the questions from the media, saying we have no demands, we are not part of an organisation, we are just individuals,” Lekha wrote.
She alleged that the interaction was interrupted before Imran could finish speaking. “Before he could even finish his sentence, with the weight of the media on one side, loud and incessant whistle-blowing disrupted everything,” she wrote.
“A stream of uniformed persons grabbed both Zayn and me, bruising us. They forced us all into the vehicle and then drove us around for a couple of hours. After that, they did not allow us to take public transport,” Lekha added.
Lekha acknowledged that she and her companions were in a position of privilege and said others faced worse circumstances. She also expressed appreciation for the Mumbai Police, describing the force as a “beacon of balance” based on her personal experience.
“It is important to note that we are individuals in a position of privilege and that far worse is being done to others. The Mumbai Police has been a beacon of balance in my personal experience, and I appreciate them deeply. I believe in equality and respect for all, and at some point we must collectively find our voices to speak the truth. Thank you,” she concluded.
Imran prepares a legal challenge
Imran’s lawyer, Zulfiquar Memon, said on Thursday that they were preparing to challenge the FRRO order and the Mumbai Police summons. The order gave the actor 14 days to leave India.
Once filed, the plea will be moved for an urgent hearing. It is likely to come before a division bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna.
The FRRO’s Mumbai office issued a “Leave India Notice” to Imran on Thursday. It said Imran Khan Pal, described as a United States national, had contravened provisions of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, as well as the rules and orders framed under it.
The notice, also marked to the Mumbai Police Commissioner, cited Section 7(2)(c) read with Section 29 of the Act. It directed Imran not to remain in India and to leave the country on or before October 28, 2026.
“Non-compliance of this order will render you liable for prosecution under the relevant sections of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025,” the notice said.
The cited provisions allow the government to direct a foreign national to leave India or prohibit the person from staying in a specified part of the country. Section 29 empowers the Central Government to order the removal of a foreigner who has violated the Act, a rule or an order issued under it, or has been the subject of an adverse security report. Government officers may take reasonable steps to enforce such an order.
Questions over citizenship and OCI status
Imran is reportedly a US citizen. In a 2011 interview with India Today, he spoke about his efforts to obtain an Indian passport.
“I am trying to get an Indian passport. The official proceedings are on. I hope I acquire it soon as some big things are on their way. I feel it is my duty to serve my country. I cannot vote here because I am not a citizen, but I do take part in elections by creating awareness about the importance of voting, because I feel I am a part of this country,” he said at the time.
Memon has said that Imran is an Overseas Citizen of India cardholder. He also reportedly argued that the rules do not prohibit OCI cardholders from participating in protests.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya had earlier sought Imran’s deportation, claiming that the actor was a US citizen. He urged Mumbai Police to verify Imran’s citizenship and questioned whether a foreign national should take part in a political agitation.
“Actor Imran Khan should be deported immediately,” Somaiya wrote on X while asking the police to examine the actor’s citizenship status.
Why Imran joined the demonstration
Speaking to the media, Imran said he had attended the protest as a Mumbai resident and not as a representative of any political group.
“I don’t have demands. I am here as a citizen, as someone who lives in this city,” he said. He also questioned restrictions on freedom of movement and the suppression of people’s voices. Imran said he did not belong to any organisation and had joined the gathering in his capacity as a citizen.
What the Mumbai protest was about
The October 10 gathering was called by author Tushar Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson. It supported the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms’ demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The protest focused on concerns over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and allegations of voter-list manipulation. Police detained Tushar Gandhi while he was travelling to the proposed protest site and later released him.
Mumbai Police said August Kranti Maidan was not a designated protest venue under a Bombay High Court order. The police said preventive action had been taken to maintain law and order.
Demonstrations over the electoral roll revision have also taken place in other parts of the country, including Delhi. Cockroach Janta Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday after they jumped over a gate to enter Jantar Mantar, which authorities had denotified as a designated protest venue.
CJP worker Ajinkya Shinde and other supporters were also detained. The group entered Jantar Mantar from the side of the Janata Dal (United) office premises near the protest site, following which police detained those who had entered the area.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
