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Summary Indian authorities have released Pakistan singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. The Indian Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has released Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and two others from its custody pending investigations into the foreign exchange case.
Rahat and two others - Maroof and Chitresh Shirivastava - have been asked to appear before the DRI on February 17 again. Their passports have been confiscated.Rahat (37) was extensively questioned by revenue intelligence officials regarding the over one lakh USD recovered from his possession on Sunday. He and and two of his troupe members were caught allegedly carrying 1.24 lakh USD (about Rs 60 lakh) in undeclared foreign currency.Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir spoke with the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad and urged that the singer be released. Today, Pakistani diplomats reached to see Rahat but Indian officials refused to hold their meeting. The Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi set up a special team to liaise with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, which had detained Khan.According to Chairman Indian Central Excise and Customs S Maujamdar, it is prohibited to take foreign currency out of India without declaring it. Rahat and his companions were shifted to Customs headquarters for further investigations.
