Kirit Somaiya and Imran Khan (Instagram)
Mumbai: Bollywood actor Imran Khan has landed in a fresh controversy after former Lok Sabha MP Kirit Somaiya alleged that the actor holds an American passport and questioned his participation in a political protest in Mumbai. Somaiya has approached the police and the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), seeking action over the actor’s participation in the demonstration.
The controversy comes after Imran Khan was detained by Mumbai Police on October 10, 2026, for participating in a solidarity protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at August Kranti Maidan. The demonstration called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of irregularities in the electoral system.
On Monday, October 12, Somaiya visited Gamdevi Police Station and filed a complaint against Imran Khan. In a post on X, the politician claimed that the police had assured him that the actor would be summoned. He also stated that the police had sent a report to the FRRO’s Foreign Citizen Division.
Somaiya further claimed that he had filed a separate complaint with the FRRO’s Immigration Division at Mumbai airport and had spoken to an FRRO officer regarding the matter.
In his complaint, the former MP alleged that Imran Khan was born in the United States, holds an American passport and possesses an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card. He questioned the actor’s participation in what he described as an agitation directed against a constitutional authority of India.
Somaiya also raised concerns about whether the actor’s participation in the protest was consistent with the conditions applicable to foreign nationals in India.
Somaiya has invoked Section 23(a) of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, in his complaint. The provision deals with violations of visa conditions by foreign nationals and prescribes penalties that may include imprisonment for up to three years, a fine of up to Rs 3 lakh, or both.
He also referred to Sections 7 and 29 of the Act, which concern the Central Government’s powers relating to the stay and removal of foreign nationals.
The actor’s detention took place on October 10 at August Kranti Maidan, where protesters had gathered in solidarity with the CJP-led movement. The protest was part of a wider campaign demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the electoral system.
The youth-led movement has raised objections to the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the exercise has disenfranchised millions of voters. The Election Commission and the BJP have denied allegations of manipulation.
The movement has also seen demonstrations in Delhi, where CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and fellow leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained on October 10 after arriving for a planned protest at Jantar Mantar. Several other protesters were also detained amid heightened security restrictions.
(With inputs from IANS)
This post was last modified on October 12, 2026 4:23 pm