Rahat Fateh, manager each fined $34,000

NEW DEHLI: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and his manager Maroof will each have to pay $34,000 as a fine to Indian authorities in order to get their passports back.

The fine was imposed by the customs department of the Indian government, which was investigating the allegation that the singer was attempting to carry a large amount of cash out of India without declaring it at customs, in violation of Indian laws. The singer and his manager were arrested at Delhi Airport.

Both the singer and his manager will be allowed to leave the country, subject to the condition that they pay the fine.

The Indian government has also confiscated the qawwali singer’s earnings from his concerts in India as well as the nearly $124,000 in cash and bank drafts that the two were attempting to carry out of India

Khan and his manager’s passports were withheld pending a probe by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). After completing its probe, the DRI charged them with violating provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and Customs Act and sent the matter for adjudication to Customs which found them guilty of the infringement.

The DRI unearthed a domestic network of foreign exchange smugglers and are in the process of investigating any potential linkages between these smugglers and Khan. Event manager Chitresh Shrivastava is under detention, and enquiries against two foreign exchange dealers of Mumbai, would continue, the sources said.

It could take a few days for Khan and Maroof to arrange the money and make the payments.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2011.