Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons for personal appearance to Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in connection with an alleged forex violations case of 2011.
The agency has initiated a probe under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) sometime back against the singer and his associates, and has now issued summons against him to appear before investigators at the agency's Delhi zonal office here.
"The summons have been sent through the Indian Embassy in Pakistan. He has been summoned for presenting his case and answering agency's questions under Section 37 of the FEMA in connection with a foreign exchange violation case," official sources said.
The case dates back to 2011 when the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted Khan and his manager, Marrouf Ali Khan, at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here for allegedly carrying an undeclared 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.
Emails and phone calls made by PTI to Khan's associate and manager in Pakistan to elicit a response over the latest episode remained unanswered.
Officials said ED had initiated the step after nearly finalising its over-an-year probe and after obtaining records of the said cash from RBI.
Officials said the Pakistani singer has deputed a team of lawyers to interact with the agency here but investigations now require Khan's personal appearance.
Khan, during his earlier statements on the subject, had said he had done nothing wrong and they were carrying the large amount of cash because they were travelling in a group.
The agency has earlier asked Khan about the details of the shows and events that he has done after which the said amount was accumulated by him in 2011.
The Sufi singer had won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer in 2011 for the song 'Dil To Bachcha Hai Ji' from the movie 'Ishqiya' and many of his renditions are popular chartbusters in both India and Pakistan.
