Give supporting material: Imran Khan to govt on OCI status cancellation notice

Bollywood actor and US citizen Imran Khan, who was ordered by the Centre to leave India over alleged violation of immigration laws, has replied to a show-cause notice issued by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), seeking the material on which the notice was based.The FRRO had issued two separate communications to the 43-year-old — a departure order directing him to leave India by October 28, and a show-cause notice seeking an explanation on why his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) registration should not be cancelled.The departure order followed Khan's brief detention during a demonstration at Mumbai's historic August Kranti Maidan on October 10.The rally was organised in solidarity with an agitation by the Cockroach Janta Party, which demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. In his reply to the show-cause notice concerning his OCI registration, Khan sought access to the material on which the authorities had relied while initiating the proposed action.The response pointed out that, according to the rules, "not only must the information forming the basis of the proposed action be disclosed to the person concerned, but the evidence and material relied upon by the State authorities in arriving at such a decision must also be furnished to enable the person concerned to effectively respond to and rebut the same." Khan asserted that some of the material relied upon by the Mumbai Police had not been fully furnished to him."I have not been supplied with such material which is including but not limited to report submitted by Mumbai Police in this regard," he stated in his reply.Invoking the principles of natural justice, Khan alleged that the authorities had not sought his version of events."The details of the FIR are not being reproduced herein in the interest of brevity, and which already forms a part of your SCN [show-cause notice]. I firmly believe that my statement/version should have been incorporated in the report submitted by Mumbai Police to your office," he said.Khan also said he needed an opportunity to examine all the material relied upon by the FRRO in forming its "provisional view" on the proposed cancellation of his OCI registration."The foregoing request, together with the consequential disclosure and furnishing of the aforesaid material, would ensure that I am afforded a 'reasonable opportunity of being heard' in accordance with the statutory scheme of the Act," the actor's response read.Khan further described the grounds cited in the show-cause notice as "nebulous and contradictory".He said disclosing the material relied upon by the authorities would ensure transparency, fairness and accountability in the decision-making process, in accordance with the statutory framework of the Immigration and Foreigners Act.INTERIM RELIEF GRANTED BY HIGH COURTKhan has challenged the FRRO's 'leave India' order before the Bombay High Court, which on Tuesday, October 27, paused the notice until November 2.A bench comprising Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna adjourned the matter after the government counsel assured the court that no coercive action would be taken against the actor until the next hearing.The hearing was deferred after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the FRRO, sought more time.The departure order was issued to Khan under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, which empowers the government to restrict the movement of foreign nationals and enforce their removal.In his petition before the Bombay High Court, Khan claimed he had neither participated in the gathering nor had any association or affiliation with its organisers.An OCI card does not entitle a person to the same freedom granted under Article 19 of the Indian Constitution.- Ends(With inputs from PTI)