SMALL RAHAT, BUT NO FATEH YET
and/or www.mantra.com/jai
By a Staff Reporter
The Pioneer
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Indraprasth aka New Delhi - Renowned Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali
Khan, detained in the Capital for carrying undisclosed foreign
currency, has been directed not to leave India and his passport has
been confiscated. While allowing the singer to leave its custody,
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which questioned Rahat
extensively on Monday, asked him to appear before it again on
February 17.
According to sources, DRI sleuths quizzed him regarding $1.24 lakh
that he, along with his troupe members, was carrying at the time of
his detention at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Sunday
evening. Rahat was on in his way to Lahore via Dubai by Emirates
flight EK 517.
Sources said Rahat was formally detained at the airport for more than
eight hours before being taken to a nearby hotel at 1.50 am. Later in
the day, he was reportedly taken to the DRI headquarters at CGO
Complex for further questioning.
Meanwhile, agency reports from Mumbai said the DRI carried out
searches at an event management company in connection with the
seizure of foreign currency. The DRI officials searched the premises
of �Eyeline Telefilm and Events', owned by Chitresh Shrivastava,
elder brother of Bollywood singer Aadesh Shrivastava. Sources claimed
that the sleuths found Rs 51 lakh in cash which was seized besides
some documents that could be helpful in the probe being carried out
by the DRI. Efforts to contact Aadesh did not fructify while another
brother of his, Vishal Shrivastava disconnected the phone call.
Sources said questioning of Chitresh, who was also detained on
Sunday, was also being carried out on the alleged cash seizure made
from his Mumbai premises.
On the other hand, the Pakistan High Commission officials on Monday
visited the DRI zonal office where the Sufi singer was detained. The
three officials left after spending about 30 minutes at the DRI
office, sources said. It was not immediately clear whether they had
come to get access to the singer or meet DRI officials.
Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) Chairman S Dutt Majumdar
clarified, prima facie there are clear violations of excise laws and
the singer and his troupe were interrogated.
He said the amount that they were carrying was �much above' the
allowed limit.
"The DRI officers found altogether $1.24 lakh which is equivalent to
about Rs 60 lakhs. $24,000 were found from the baggage carried by
Rahat, while the remaining $50,000 each were found from the baggage
of two troupe members," Majumdar said. Notably, the recovered foreign
currency included $10,000 and $8,600 in demand drafts, sources said.
Rahat was intercepted by DRI personnel around 4pm acting on some
prior information.
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 bar to the Customs Department.
According to sources, the payments by an event manager to Rahat were
made in Indian currency and US dollars and these people were
allegedly found converting the dollars to Indian rupees through
unauthorised channels.
Rahat (37) and his entire troupe, numbering around 16, including his
manager Maroof and event manager were detained. A nephew of Pakistani
singing legend Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rahat is a top Bollywood
playback singer and has several hit numbers to his credit. He
recently won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer this
year for Dil To Bachcha Hai Ji from the movie Ishqiya.
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Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
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