15 February,2011 07:11 AM IST | | Surender Sharma
This is what Pak singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan told Indian authorities after being detained for carrying large amounts of foreign currency. He has now been released pending probe
After 28 gruelling hours of detention, Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and two members of his troupe were released by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) yesterday pending probe, au00a0 day after they were detained for carrying undeclared $1.24 lakh (about Rs 60 lakh). The three men were freed after being asked by the DRI to surrender their passports and appear again for questioning on February 17.
Rahat mili: The singer was released yesterday, after being asked to
surrender his passport. Pic/Mid Day
While initial questioning was done at Delhi airport on Sunday evening. Later he was taken to DRI headquarters along with his two associates, where all of them were quizzed on Monday. Sources said, he told DRI officials that he is a school dropout and hence not familiar with the laws.u00a0 He further said that he himself had asked to be paid in foreign currency.
DRI did not file any case against the detainees and let them go after vigorous questioning. They were also asked not to leave the country. Pakistani diplomatic channels were also activated and High Commission officials in New Delhi tried to get consular access to him, sources said.
No entry
Three High Commission officials came to zonal headquarters of the DRI where questioning of the singer was under way but left after about 30 minutes. They were, however, not allowed to meet the singer, sources said.
Khan (37) along with his manager Maaroof and event manager Chitresh Shrivastava were detained on Sunday evening from Indira Gandhi International Airport while they were on their way to Lahore via Dubai in an Emirate flight after an alleged undeclared amount of $1.24 lakh were recovered from the three men who were part of a 16-member troupe.
The norm
Indian laws allow up to $5,000 in cash, or $10,000 in traveller's cheques, to be taken abroad. As per norms, a foreign national cannot carry beyond $5,000 in cash and $5,000 in other instruments. The person has to declare the amount if he is carrying more than the permitted sum to the Customs Department.
Past controversy
On July 31, 2010, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was slapped with a police complaint for failing to turn up for a concert in Gurgaon. The organiser, Trzy Event, claimed that they paid Rs 27 lakh to the singer for the show and had already sold 800 tickets worth Rs 20 lakh besides other expenses.However, his Mumbai based manager Chitresh, who had arranged for the event on his behalf, had claimed that the singer and his entire troupe were ready in Karachi to fly via Dubai but missed the flight as they could not get their visas.
