IMRAN KHAN TOLD TO LEAVE INDIA OVER ELECTION PROTEST

Indian authorities have ordered the actor Imran Khan, a US citizen and nephew of Bollywood star Aamir Khan, to leave the country by 28 October, police said. Khan holds an Overseas Citizen of India card, which allows visits and extended stays but not voting or standing in elections. Police said Khan breached immigration rules by joining a protest at Mumbai's August Kranti Maidan on 10 October, which demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. His lawyer said Khan would challenge the order in the Bombay High Court, arguing no rule bars OCI holders from protesting.

According to the Press Trust of India, Khan's petition described the notice as "drastic." The Cockroach Janta Party, part of a wider Gen Z-led movement, organised the protest over several days, calling for electoral reforms and Kumar's resignation amid allegations of vote fraud that India's Election Commission denies. Kirit Somaiya, a leader of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party, lodged the complaint against Khan, accusing him of being "involved in a conspiracy to spread anarchy in India." Khan did not address the allegation directly, telling reporters: "I don't have demands. I'm here as a citizen, as a person who lives in this city."

The notice comes as Khan returns to acting this year in the Netflix film Adhure Hum Adhure Tum, after more than a decade away. He first appeared on screen as a child actor in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, and later starred in the 2008 film Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na. His other credits include I Hate Luv Storys and Delhi Belly. The Bombay High Court has yet to rule on his challenge to the order.