ED notice to Miss Pooja for FEMA ‘breach’

Jalandhar, July 6

The Enforcement Directorate has issued a showcause notice to Punjabi singer Gurinder Kaur Kainth, popular as Miss Pooja, for allegedly violating Section 3 (a) and 8 of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

The singer reportedly failed to follow the correct procedure to “realise and repatriate” to India foreign exchange worth Rs12,99,600, which was spent by her on her shows abroad.

Following a probe, the ED officials found that Miss Pooja had contravened the provisions of Section 3 (a) of FEMA by dealing in foreign currency of US $8,000 and Canadian $19,500, acquired as foreign income (outside India) from 2008-14. They also found that “by not selling foreign currency acquired as foreign income outside India to authorised persons within the country, she had contravened the provisions of Section 8 of the FEMA Act”.

The case would now be adjudicated by Assistant Director Ajai Singh and penalty, if any, would be imposed thereafter. Miss Pooja, who had joined the BJP about two years ago, has appeared thrice before the ED — in June and July 2014 and recently on May 20. She was quizzed for four hours on her last appearance. — TNS