Who is Lekha Washington? Imran Khan released hours after being detained by Mumbai Police. Actor’s girlfriend says they were ‘not allowed' to take a cab home

Actor Imran Khan, known for films such as Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na and I Hate Luv Storys, found himself at the centre of a political protest in Mumbai on Saturday. The actor, his girlfriend Lekha Washington and his cousin Zayn Khan were detained by Mumbai Police while participating in a demonstration organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). The trio were released hours later, but videos from the incident and their accounts on social media drew attention to their experience during the detention.

Imran Khan, Lekha Washington released after detention

The three were among the demonstrators who gathered near August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The protests were linked to allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Videos and photographs shared online showed police personnel taking Imran, Lekha and Zayn into a police van at around 4 pm. According to accounts shared by the protesters, the trio were moved around in the vehicle for hours without being told why they had been detained or where they were being taken.




After her release, Lekha took to Instagram to confirm that they were safe. However, she alleged, “The cops are not letting us go home. We are randomly walking on the road. They are not letting us catch any car or any vehicle to go home.” In another video, she said, “I am trying to say that we are all safe, we are all fine and we are all on our way home."

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A post shared by Lekha Washington (@lekhawashington)

An Instagram Story shared later showed Lekha, Imran and Zayn embracing after reaching home.

Zayn also documented the incident through a series of Instagram Stories. In one video, she questioned why the three had been detained. She said officials at the Yellow Gate police station could not provide a clear explanation when asked about the reason for their detention.

According to Zayn, the trio eventually decided to walk out of the station, but a police officer followed them. She also described repeatedly asking the officer for an explanation, only to receive assurances that he would respond shortly.

In videos shared by other protesters, Imran was seen recounting how the three had been driven around in a police van for a couple of hours. Another clip showed him and Zayn questioning police personnel about their detention. When the officers walked away without responding, Imran bid them farewell with a “Jai Hind!”

Zayn Khan jokes about Imran’s ‘Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na’ character

Despite the tense circumstances, the incident also produced a lighter moment that reminded fans of Imran's popular film character.

In a video recorded inside the police van, Zayn asked Imran whether he had ever ridden a horse, gone to jail or beaten someone up. The questions were a reference to Jai Rathore, Imran's character in the 2008 romantic comedy Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na.

In the film, Jai comes from a family of warriors and must fulfil certain conditions to live up to his ancestry. Responding to Zayn, Imran said that he had ridden a horse but had never beaten anyone up in real life. When she asked about going to jail, he replied, “Ho sakta hai” (it is possible).

Imran also shared a photograph of himself inside the police van on Instagram, captioning it, “Apparently I’m going for a drive.” The post quickly attracted attention online.

Zayn further joined in with the humour by reposting a meme featuring Imran's photograph and referencing his song Dhatt Teri Ki Main Ghar Nahi Jana from the 2013 film Gori Tere Pyaar Mein.

Meanwhile, the circumstances surrounding the protest remained disputed. Mumbai Police said permission had not been sought for the demonstration at August Kranti Maidan. CJP workers, however, maintained that they had emailed the authorities seeking permission but had not received a response. Protests were also reported in other cities, including Delhi, where thousands of demonstrators were detained, according to reports.

Who is Lekha Washington?

Lekha Washington is an actor and model who has worked predominantly in South Indian cinema. Born on April 30, 1987, she spent much of her childhood in Tamil Nadu and pursued studies in Fine Arts before enrolling at the National Institute of Design. She studied Lifestyle Product Design before moving to its Film and Video Communication course, where she made short films.

Washington began her career as a model and video jockey with SS Music. Her early screen appearances included a brief, uncredited role in the 1999 Tamil film Kadhalar Dhinam. She later appeared in films such as Yuva and Unnale Unnale before gaining recognition for her role in the 2008 Tamil film Jayamkondaan.

Her filmography also includes the Telugu films Vedam and Va. She appeared in the Hindi film Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola, where she played a friend of Imran Khan's character.

Lekha has been in a relationship with Imran since around 2020, according to reports. Imran was previously married to Avantika Malik. The former couple, who separated in 2019, share a daughter, Imara.