Actor Imran Khan, in his challenge to a Leave India Notice, has told the court that he went near Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan on October 10 only “being curious about what was happening on the ground as far as student protesters were concerned”.
Another argument in the petition is that he was not issued a show-cause notice before being asked to leave. However, after the petition was filed, the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Mumbai, did issue him one. The petition explains what happened on the day he was detained. The Gamdevi area police registered an FIR that night, naming Khan among the accused.
It says Imran Khan travelled with his family via the Bandra-Worli Sea Link at around 4.30 pm and reached the vicinity of Nana Chowk around 5 pm.
When police told him the area was restricted, his “curiosity ended”, and he complied with the directions “and proceeded towards his parked vehicle”, reads his writ petition in the Bombay High Court against the notice directing him to leave the country by October 28. His lawyer then told NDTV: “We are currently examining the contents of the show-cause notice… He has argued in the petition that the Leave India Notice was “arbitrary”, gave no reasons, and was passed without a hearing. He found the road to the maidan barricaded and asked police about the closure, since “apart from police personnel and members of the media, no protesters were present at the location”, it says. At about 5.19 pm, police “suddenly and in an unprovoked manner” detained him and his family and later took them to Yellow Gate police station, and he was later allowed to leave. The petition challenges the FIR’s allegation that the accused, including Imran Khan, gathered at the maidan at 3:30 pm and incited a crowd of 350-400, which “appears to be not factually correct”.
We will take this point up before the court when the matter comes up for hearing.
