ED questions Pak singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan for 10 hours

Pakistani Sufi singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan presented himself before the Enforecement Directorate in Delhi in connection with an alleged forex violations case against him.

Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was on Thursday questioned for close to 11 hours by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in New Delhi in connection with an alleged forex violations case against him.

Rahat-Fateh-Ali-Khan-has-won-Filmfare-Award-for-best-male-playback-singer-in-2011-for-the-song-Dil-To-Bachcha-Hai-Ji-from-the-movie-Ishqiya-Many-of-his-renditions-are-popular-chartbusters-in-Hindi-movies-both-in-India-as-well-as-in-Pakistan-Picture-from-www-rahatfatehalikhan

The ED recorded Khan’s statement in a Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) probe related to the alleged recovery of $1,24,000 and some other instruments in foreign currency from him and his associates in 2011. He has been asked to furnish some fresh documents to support his contentions.

Responding to a 2014 summons from the ED, Khan arrived at the agency’s Delhi zonal office at around 10 am and recorded his statement over the next 11 hours. The agency suspects the money could be connected to his performance at a wedding. Khan also provided records and documents pertaining to the case.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had detained Khan and an aide at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport for allegedly carrying the foreign currency on February 13, 2011.

The ED began a probe in 2014, scrutinising the DRI case findings and obtained records from the Reserve Bank of India, following the adjudication of the case. Khan has denied any wrongdoing, assigning his lawyers to cooperate. The agency had last year summoned Khan for clarifications and he recorded his statement today.

Khan had earlier said that he had done nothing wrong and they were carrying the money because they were travelling in a group and the act was inadvertent. The singer’s lawyers submitted details to the ED of shows and events in 2011 to prove he accumulated the said amount in 2011.

The Sufi singer had won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer in 2011 for the song 'Dil To Bachcha Hai Ji' from the movie 'Ishqiya' and many of his renditions are popular chartbusters in Hindi movies and also in Pakistan.