Armed with his contract papers, Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, appeared at the office of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence as directed. The singer was accompanied by his aide Maroof and his Indian agent Chitresh Srivastav.
Tthe singer looked composed as he walked into DRI office at around 2 pm, dodging questions posed by the media.
DRI sources said that their questions were primarily based on their investigations into the various event management companies based in Jaipur, Delhi, Rajkot, Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Many of the organizers the DRI contacted told them that they had paid him in Indian currency, while during his interrogation on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, the singer had told DRI that he was paid in dollars by them.
Sources said that the singer maintained that he was paid in dollars by his agent, Chitresh Srivastav. Khan claimed that all his payments were collected by Srivatsav. Asked why he did not declare the amount as is required by the law, Khan said that he was not aware of the stringent laws relating to foreign exchange. He also told the DRI that he has taken out foreign currency in a similar fashion in earlier instances. That money also, he claimed, he had earned in dollars in the shows he had done in India.
Sources said that they will further investigate Khan's claims and see how event management companies had access to such large amounts of foreign currency.
The probe has already been widened to investigations into the event management companies. If found guilty, provisions under the Customs Act and Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), which can lead to imprisonment and a monetary fine.
© 2024 Rediff.com -