Rahat questioned by the DRI

Spicezee Bureau

New Delhi: Pakistani sufi singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, who was questioned Saturday by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officials has been charged under Customs Act for carrying undeclared foreign currency. His aide Maroof has also been held guilty. The DRI will take possession of the money and the matter will go to a body that is headed by a Customs officer. The authority will decide the penalty charges and Rahat along with his associate can leave for their country only after paying the fine. Rahat was quizzed for the fourth time since his detention on February 13 at Indira Gandhi International Airport here. Earlier, the DRI officials also interrogated two foreign exchange dealers in Mumbai in connection with the matter. Besides Rahat, his manager Maroof, owner of an event management company Chitresh Shrivastava, and two employees of Mumbai-based Foreign Exchange firm were detained and questioned at length about the source of the money. Rahat was detained when he, along with his 16-membertroupe, was on his way to Lahore via Dubai. Soon after their detention, searches were conducted simultaneously on the premises of ‘Eyeline Telefilm and Events’ in Mumbai, owned by Chitresh, elder brother of Bollywood singer Aadesh Shrivastava. Sources privy to the investigations claimed that the sleuths found Rs 51 lakh in cash which was seized besides some documents. As per norms, no one can carry beyond USD 5,000 in cash and USD 5,000 in other instruments. The person has to declare the amount if he is carrying more than this to the Customs Department. Meanwhile, authorities here have extended singer’s visa to 10 more days after its expiry on February 14, sources said. Khan is rated as a one of the top playback singer ofHindi film industry who has several hit numbers to his credit. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer this year for ‘Dil To Bachcha Hai Ji’ from the movie ‘Ishqiya’.