The Bombay High Court on Monday put the “Leave India” notice issued to actor Imran Khan on hold till the actor gets a chance to respond to it. However, it told Khan to file an unconditional apology for taking part in protests seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
On October 27, the High Court had kept the “Leave India” notice in abeyance till November 2.
A bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna on Monday told Khan to submit an undertaking saying that he would not participate in any protests in India in the future, Live Law reported.
Can’t Allow OCI Card Holders To Take Part In Protest: HC
The court said that Overseas Citizens of India card holders taking part in protests in India could not be tolerated. “Go to USA and participate in protests there and you can even go and cast your vote but you protesting anything here won't be tolerated,” the court verbally told the actor.
Khan is a United States citizen and holds an OCI card.
The actor's lawyer Zulfiqar Memon said that Khan had no intention of taking part in the protests. "...We also maintain that he has never been affiliated or associated with any party or agency or groups conducting these protests," he said.
The Notice
The Leave India notice followed Khan’s detention on October 10 during a demonstration at August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai. The protest was held in solidarity with an agitation in Delhi against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Following the demonstration, a complaint was lodged at Gamdevi police station alleging that Khan had violated the Foreigners Act by participating in a political protest despite being a US citizen. The police subsequently forwarded the complaint to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), which issued the notice directing him to leave India.
