DUBAI: Famous singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has been arrested in Dubai over a defamation complaint filed by his former manager Salman Ahmed, according to Dubai Police sources.
The singer arrived in Dubai early Monday (today) from Lahore for a music collaboration but was taken into police custody at the immigration center and taken to the Burj Dubai Police Station for questioning and formal charges over the complaint.
At first, the exact fees were not known. However, people from Rahat’s management company confirmed the arrest and said they were awaiting further information on the matter.
It later emerged that Rahat’s former manager Ahmed had filed complaints against him with Dubai authorities, according to sources.
Sources revealed that Rahat fired Ahmed a few months ago after a dispute.
Apart from this, sources also said that both Rahat and Ahmed have filed a case against each other.
Rahat is accompanied on the trip by his brother-in-law Bakka Burki and he is handling the matter, sources added.
Slander on social media is a serious offense in Dubai.
In 2019, a Dubai court sentenced an individual to a fine of AED 250,000 and six months in prison after being convicted of defamation and abuse via social media. Convict posted offensive comments and altered pictures of another person.
In another case, an Abu Dhabi court fined an employee AED 50,000 for defaming a colleague. The accused spread false allegations about a colleague, which had an impact on his professional and personal reputation.
In 2020, a Sharjah court convicted an individual of defamation by sending text messages containing false and offensive information about another person. The individual was fined AED 10,000.
These examples show that the penalties in defamation cases in the UAE range from financial fines to imprisonment, varying depending on the nature of the act and its impact on the victim.
Notably, UAE law imposes severe penalties for cybercrimes, including online defamation and defamation through social media. This includes significant financial fines and imprisonment.
