Singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan held at Delhi airport with $50,000

Popular Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, 37, was detained at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here on Sunday for allegedly carrying a huge amount of undeclared foreign currency. HT reports.

Popular Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, 37, was detained at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here on Sunday for allegedly carrying a huge amount of undeclared foreign currency.

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The Bollywood playback singer is a nephew of Pakistani singing legend Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

“We are questioning Rahat Ali Khan’s event manager to get to the bottom of the matter and after getting all the facts, we will decide on the future course of action,” said RK Sharma, additional director general, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

Khan was taking an Emirates flight to Lahore when DRI officials intercepted him. Khan allegedly didn't declare the foreign currency at any immigration counter, a senior official said. Both Khan and his manager were detained and questioned at the airport by DRI and customs officials.

“Both Khan and Maruf were carrying $50,000 (R23 lakh) each in their check-in baggage and Maruf’s cabin baggage also had $24,000,” said the official. “Apart from this, they also had $18,000 worth of bank cheques,” he said.

If a passenger carries more than this amount, he or she has to prove that it's been acquired through legal means.