The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had issued a show cause notice to Pakistani Sufi singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). As per media reports, he has been charged with smuggling foreign currency out of India to the tune of Rs 2 crore.
Now the Pakistani singer has denied receiving any notice from the ED. According to Firstpost, Khan issued a media statement saying:
“It would have been better if the authorities would have served the notice first if any and then publicised this. We will address if and when we get any notice. Our law firm in Delhi will look into this if (there is) any notice.”
The statement also called the claims "bizarre".
Speaking to news agency PTI, officials had earlier said that Khan, who is popular for his renditions in India and Pakistan, has been asked to reply to the notice within 45 days.
The case pertains to the probe agency initiating a FEMA investigation against him and his associates in 2014 after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), in 2011, intercepted Khan and his manager, Marrouf Ali Khan, at the Indira Gandhi International Airport for allegedly carrying an undeclared amount of USD 1.24 lakh and some other instruments in foreign currency.
The ED, which is the central agency to probe such forex contraventions under the FEMA, took over the case after this episode.
It had initiated the step after obtaining records of the said cash from the RBI.
The singer, who has been grilled by the ED in this case in the past, had said he had done nothing wrong and they were carrying the large amount of cash because they were travelling in a group and the act was inadvertent.
His songs are popular chartbusters in Hindi movies, and also in Pakistan.
(With inputs from PTI, Firstpost)
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