NEW DELHI: Noted Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was detained at the airport here on Sunday evening for allegedly attempting to leave the country with over $124,000.

According to sources, the artiste is likely to be arrested for trying to take foreign exchange way above the permitted limit out of the country. Indian laws allow up to $5,000 in cash, or $10,000 in traveller’s cheques, to be taken abroad.

Khan, 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 (DRI) received a tip-off that he would be carrying a large amount of foreign currency.

At the airport, revenue officials reportedly recovered $50,000 from Khan’s check-in baggage, another $50,000 from his aide’s check-in baggage and $24,000 from another aide’s hand baggage. The troupe also carried two demand drafts for $10,000 and $8,646.

“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, DRI’s additional director-general.

Along with Khan, his troupe manager and the event company manager were also detained for questioning. The other troupe members were 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.

The sources said that Khan had been on the DRI hit list for a while. He was almost arrested in Dec 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 $150,000, they said.

Khan has several hit numbers to his credit and won the Filmfare Award for Best Playback Singer this year for Dil To Bachcha Hai Ji from the movie Ishqiya
Source: Dawn
Date:2/14/2011