A day after Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was detained by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at the IGI Airport for allegedly carrying undeclared cash in his baggage,the 37-year-old was released,along with two others,on Monday evening after more than 24 hours of questioning. Khans passport has been impounded and he has agreed to appear before the directorate whenever required,a DRI official said. Earlier in the day,the Pakistan High Commission demanded consular access to Khan. Two officials were in touch with the DRI for updates on proceedings in the matter. The Ministry of External Affairs denied that the detention had led to a diplomatic row. The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and the Indian High Commission in Islamabad were constantly being updated,MEA sources said. Around 6 pm on Monday,Khan and two others his manager and nephew Maroof and event manager Chitresh Shrivastava were released by the DRI,sources said. Khan was detained at Terminal 3 of the IGI Airport by the DRI for allegedly carrying undeclared currency to the tune of US dollars 1.24 lakh,along with Pakistani and Indian currency,sources told Newsline. He was stopped when he and his entourage of 14 were to board an Emirates flight to Karachi via Dubai. Additional Director General of DRI (Delhi Zone) Rakesh Sharma said: Khan was released after his statement was recorded. His passport has been impounded. A recovery of Rs 51 lakh was made from an event management company in Mumbai during raids on Monday. In light of the developments,we will need to question them further. The DRI also seized documents from the premises of the Mumbai-based event management company,Eyeline Telefilms and Events,and is verifying them. According to DRI officials,the money in Mumbai was seized from the residence of Chitresh Shrivastava,proprietor of the company and Khans official event manager in India.
