Rahat freed, will face DRI again Thursday

Feb 15, 2011 |

Age Correspondent

New Delhi

Top Pakistani playback singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, who was detained at the IGI Airport here on Sunday after a large amount of undeclared foreign currency was found in his possession, was released from the custody of revenue intelligence sleuths on Monday evening.
Rahat and two of his associates, Maroof and Chitresh Srivastava, have been asked to appear before DRI officers on Thursday and barred from leaving the country. The three were also directed to surrender their passports. Chitresh is related to music composer Aadesh Srivastava. No case has been registered so far.
Rahat is the nephew of legendary Pakistani Sufi singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Officials of the Pakistan high commission visited the DRI north zone headquarters, at the CGO Complex near Lodhi Road, where Rahat and his group had been taken from the airport, seeking consular access. They were told this would be possible only after his questioning was over.
DRI officials released Rahat and his associates at 7.30 pm after the day-long questioning ended. “The trio have been categorically told not to leave the country till the investigations are completed. DRI sources said the day-long questioning provided certain clues, but the agency did not want to jump to conclusions before the probe was over.
The trio were questioned at length about the foreign currency in their possession. Since their replies were not convincing, the trio will be questioned again, the sources said. If their offence was found to be not very serious, they might be left off after paying a penalty, but the sources added it was “too early” to comment on the eventual outcome.
DRI officials also carried out raids at the Mumbai office of an event management company, apparently owned by Mr Chitresh, and reportedly seized `51 lakhs and some documents. They had found $124,000 from the trio’s baggage at IGI Airport, of which $24,000 was in Rahat’s own baggage, and $50,000 each from the other two. Rahat, who arrived from Karachi, was leaving for Dubai when he was stopped.

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