February 14, 2011 7:43 PM

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‘Rahat Fateh Ali Khan questioned by Revenue officials

Noted Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was extensively questioned by revenue intelligence officials in New Delhi after money worth 60 lakh rupees were recovered from his possession.The singer was detained at the Indira Gandhi International Airport yesterday after he along with his two troupe members were caught allegedly carrying the huge amount of undeclared foreign currency.The troupe was on in its way to Lahore via Dubai by an Emirates flight. A nephew of Pakistani singing legend Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rahat is also a top Bollywood playback singer.According to Pakistan Television, Interior minister Rehman Malik has directed its envoy in New Delhi to extend legal support to the singer.Some Pakistani singers while expressing concern on the incident have said sometimes artists show carelessness in such legal matters which land them in trouble.They, however, urged Islamabad to intervene and get the noted singer freed at earliest. New Delhi maintains that law will take its own course.Pakistan High Commission officials today visited the zonal office of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in the capital, where singer Rahat Fatheh Ali Khan is detained in connection with seizure of a huge amount of foreign currency. The three officials left after spending about 30minutes at the DRI office. 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 has said that there are clear violations of excise laws and the singer and his troupe are being interrogated currently. He said the amount that they were carrying was much above the allowed limit.The singer was detained at the IGI airport by DRI officials last evening after he and two of his troupe members were caught allegedly carrying 60 lakh rupees in undeclared foreign currency.Rahat and his entire troupe, numbering around 16, including his manager Maroof and event manager were detained. The troupe was on in its way to Lahore via Dubai by an Emirates flight. Sleuths of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, DRI today carried out searches at an event management company in Mumbai in connection with alleged recovery of over one lakh US dollars from noted Pakistani singer RahatFateh Ali Khan at Delhi's IGI airport. The DRI officials swooped at the premises of Eyeline Telefilm and Events, owned by Chitresh Shrivastava, elder brother of bollywood singer Aadesh Shrivastava, and searched the premises. Sources privy to the investigations claimed that the sleuths found 51 lakh rupees in cash which was seized besides some documents which could be helpful in the probe being carried out by the DRI. The sources said questioning of Chitresh, who was also been detained yesterday, was being carried out on the alleged cash seizure made from his Mumbai premises.

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