The Bombay High Court questioned Bollywood actor Imran Khan about his involvement in a protest related to India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
“Considering you are a US citizen and have lived in the country since childhood, why haven’t you applied for Indian citizenship?” the court asked during the hearing on November 2.
Khan issued an unconditional apology for his actions.
The court granted interim protection to Khan.
Court Questions OCI Cardholders
A bench led by Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna inquired why Khan, a US citizen, participated in the protest.
- “We want to understand your involvement in this protest. An OCI card does not provide the same rights as Indian citizenship. Why were you engaged with the SIR? What would happen if an Indian citizen protested in another country?” the judges remarked.
The court also advised Khan to consider applying for Indian citizenship.
Actor Issues Unconditional Apology
Senior Advocate Venkatesh Dhond, representing Khan, assured the court that Khan would refrain from future protests.
The court noted that merely receiving an assurance was insufficient, and Khan agreed to apologize.
The court expressed concern over the impact of his social media posts.
Khan’s legal team argued that he did not organize the protest.
Leave India Notice
On October 10, Khan participated in a protest at August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar regarding the SIR.
He was briefly detained by Mumbai Police.
On October 14, the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) issued a Leave India Notice, instructing Khan to leave the country by October 28.
Khan challenged the notice in the Bombay High Court, claiming it was arbitrary and excessive. He stated in his petition that he neither attended the protest nor was he connected to its organizers.
The High Court previously granted interim protection.
High Court Grants Interim Protection Until December 7
On Monday, the court provided interim protection to Khan, with the next hearing set for December 7.
The court also sought to determine if Khan had adequate opportunities to explain his situation, given his long residence in the country.
As the issues regarding the notice and Khan’s OCI card remain unresolved, the latest hearing emphasized the differences in privileges between OCI holders and Indian citizens.