Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan detained at IGI with $1.24lakh

[AmthaLal]

Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan detained at IGI with $1.24lakh


NEW DELHI: Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was detained at Delhi's IGI Airport on Sunday evening for attempting to leave the country with over $124,000. Sources said the popular artiste is likely to be arrested for trying to take foreign exchange way above the permitted limit out of the country.

The singer, along with his troupe of about 20, was scheduled to fly to Lahore on a 4pm Emirates flight after a series of performances in India. The directorate of revenue intelligence received a tip-off that Khan would be carrying a huge amount of foreign currency. At the airport, DRI officials recovered $50,000 from Khan's check-in baggage, another $50,000 from his aide's check-in baggage and $24,000 from an aide's hand baggage. The troupe was also carrying two demand drafts of $10,000 and $8,646.

Indian laws allow up to $5,000 in cash, or US$ 10,000 in traveller's cheques, to be taken abroad.

"Prima facie, this seems to be a violation of the Customs Act and the Foreign Exchange Maintenance Act. We are investigating how Khan managed to get and convert so much foreign exchange," said R K Sharma, additional director general (Delhi zone) DRI.

Along with Khan, his troupe manager and the event company manager have also been detained for questioning and face arrest. The other troupe members were also held at the airport.

The singer had last performed at a south Delhi farmhouse wedding where he is learnt to have received a huge fee. Sources said Khan has been on the DRI hit list for a while. He was almost arrested in December 2010 but the singer did not come to Delhi and instead left the country from Amritsar. On that occasion too, DRI had information he would try and leave the country with about $1.5 lakh.

The singer has gained immense popularity in the country after he started playback singing in Bollywood. He has been regularly performing at shows and giving personal concerts. He reportedly told investigators that he asked to be paid in foreign currency.

How in the hell he got these much dollars in cash?

Fukkin chewtiyaa Indian public.

I don't ubderstand why do they allow these "artist" from pukistan to do shows in India?


Where is Balasaheb and Shivsena now?


Puki govt wants more detail.

Basterd is released too.

[sunnykode]

dam $1.24 lakhs... i misread it as Rs. and was wondering what is the big deal for him to carry that much in Rs

[Arbaaz Balushi]

Originally Posted by AmthaLal

How in the hell he got these much dollars in cash?

Fukkin chewtiyaa Indian public.

I don't ubderstand why do they allow these "artist" from pukistan to do shows in India?


Where is Balasaheb and Shivsena now?


Puki govt wants more detail.

Basterd is released too.

There is more to it. Why he is bringing this cash back to India? What he wants to finance?

[Zorro]

AB, he obviously did some private shows for which he was paid in $ and he was leaving the country with the $.

Will the DRI go after the chewtiyas who paid this guy so much money in forex?

[chitrala]

As per my understndings, all these people dont have working visa either... I'm not sure if Indian consulate issues such visas ... coming to India for a show is different thing...but if you're working as a playback singer (like Adnan Sami, I believe all his assets are seized) then you sohuld have a working visa.

[Arbaaz Balushi]

Just curious, anybody know if cricketers come on work visa?

[AmthaLal]

Originally Posted by Arbaaz Balushi

Just curious, anybody know if cricketers come on work visa?

Good point. But that will imply on IPL players only.

Others coming for tournaments representing their country don't. Because they do not get paid directly by BCCI. They get paid by their own country.

[AmthaLal]

Originally Posted by Arbaaz Balushi

There is more to it. Why he is bringing this cash back to India? What he wants to finance?

He was taking this cash home. So the kweschan is who paid him in daallers? Wo bhi rokde mai?

Same applies to Indian actors/stars/artists going out of India for concerts, take rokdaa home.

[rationalthinker]

He admitted buying them in Delhi's grey market (Hawala etc..)
Was reminded of some Amir Khan starrer where Nasiruddin Shah is a lafdebaaz singer from Pukistan.

[28virgo]

Reportedly, he gets paid 15 lakh Rupees per Song. Like the article says,he insists on getting paid in USD. Last week, he had performed in Private function in a South Delhi Farmhouse. I am sure he must have made quite a killing from there too.

[PeaceSeeker]

Originally Posted by rationalthinker

Was reminded of some Amir Khan starrer where Nasiruddin Shah is a lafdebaaz singer from Pukistan.

sarfarosh.
naseeruddin was supposedly playing ghulam ali.

[motowner]

'There was immense pressure to release Rahat'

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence definitely could have placed noted Pakistan singer, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, under arrest, but decided to release him after enormous diplomatic pressure.

Khan, instead, had his passport confiscated and was asked not to leave the country before the probe was over.

A senior DRI official, under condition of anonymity, told rediff.com that there was severe diplomatic pressure for the singer's release.

In the end, DRI sleuths managed to question Khan for about 28 hours before he had to be released.

They had to release him.. Congress ka jamaai hai, how long can they hold him. Let him do some more shows and make some more cash.

[chitrala]

Originally Posted by motowner

They had to release him.. Congress ka jamaai hai, how long can they hold him. Let him do some more shows and make some more cash.

I think court released him... DRI or any other law enforcement agency cant keep you for more than 24 hours... hebeas corpus... there was pressure indeed but I think indians handled that well... paki envoy was trying to meed Rahat personally... but was denied... paki ministers rang up and all and put pressure to release him.

long time Motu, too busy ,eh?

[motowner]

Originally Posted by chitrala

I think court released him... DRI or any other law enforcement agency cant keep you for more than 24 hours... hebeas corpus... there was pressure indeed but I think indians handled that well... paki envoy was trying to meed Rahat personally... but was denied... paki ministers rang up and all and put pressure to release him.

long time Motu, too busy ,eh?

I was reading in the link above that they could not arrest him because he is a foreigner Had he been Indian, they could have arrested him. Isnt that bass ackward? But kudos to DRI for atleast nailing him and not letting the paki envoy get to him.

Waise, how much are you willing to bet he gets to keep the money and flies home safely with dignity? All the puki lovers of Bollywood will fall all over each other to get him released so they can show how progressive they are.

Busy nahin yaar.. just rehabbing myself from EC addiction

[chitrala]

Originally Posted by motowner

I was reading in the link above that they could not arrest him because he is a foreigner Had he been Indian, they could have arrested him. Isnt that bass ackward? But kudos to DRI for atleast nailing him and not letting the paki envoy get to him.

Waise, how much are you willing to bet he gets to keep the money and flies home safely with dignity? All the puki lovers of Bollywood will fall all over each other to get him released so they can show how progressive they are.

Busy nahin yaar.. just rehabbing myself from EC addiction

No, you have to be presented before the court in 24 hrs... and court would decide whther you'd kept in remand or not. Legally, Police cant' keep you for more than 24 hrs. I know this because my landlord in delhi was arrested on friday and then was sent to Tihar for two days before he appeared before the court on monday.

I'm pretty sure that his money would be seized and he'd be fined mildly and everything would be hunkydory after that.