Rahat Fateh Ali Khan arrested in Dubai: Ex-Manager's defamation complaint

Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was arrested in Dubai on Monday. According to Geo TV, the arrest happened after a defamation complaint was filed by his former manager, Ahmed. Khan was in Dubai for a musical project when he was detained at the immigration centre and taken into police custody for questioning. 

The dispute between Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Ahmed began a few months ago when Rahat Fateh Ali Khan dismissed Ahmed. Both parties filed cases against each other. The complaint against Khan alleges defamation via social media. In Dubai, defamation on social media is considered a severe crime. In 2019, a person was fined AED250,000 and sentenced to six months in prison for defamation and abuse on social media.

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was involved in another scandal earlier this year after a video of him hitting someone went viral. In the viral video, Khan could be seen repeatedly hitting a man, later revealed to be his student Naveed Hasnain, while asking the question, "Where is my bottle?"

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan addressed the incident in a series of Instagram videos. He explained that the video captured an "internal matter" between him and his protege and clarified that it showed a typical interaction between a master and his student. He said, "When students do a good job, we reward them. When they make a mistake, we punish them. I had already apologized to him."

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is celebrated for his popular Hindi movie songs, including "O Re Piya" and "Jiya Dhadak Dhadak." His track "Zaroori Tha" from the album Back 2 Love (2014) set a milestone as the first original non-film music video from the Indian subcontinent to surpass 100 million views on YouTube within two years and reach 200 million views within three years of its release, showcasing his enduring appeal and influence in the music industry.