In a shocking incident, well-known Pakistani Sufi singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan assaulted his domestic help mercilessly over a liquor bottle. In a video that appeared online, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was seen hitting his servant with shoes, slapping and kicking him repeatedly.
The poor servant was pleading for mercy, only to fall on deaf ears of the singer.
Famous singer Rahat Fateh Ali khan beating his servent for bottle of Alcohol pic.twitter.com/9DZwYxgPmV
— Ghulam Abbas Shah (@ghulamabbasshah) January 27, 2024
As per a report by the Pakistani news channel Samaa TV, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan assaulted the man after a liquor bottle went missing from his bar in his house. While hitting the servant, Khan was asking where his bottle is, suspecting him of stealing the bottle of alcoholic beverage.
He was asking, asking, “Where is my bottle?” while simultaneously raining down punches and curses on his domestic employee.
The report said that while Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was beating the servant, nobody dared to come forward to stop him and protect the servant.
A reporter of the channel said that the singer often misbehaves with his staff, and had assaulted his driver once. The report states that while Rahat Fateh Ali Khan presents a very pleasant image during his one-hour performance, he changes completely during his off-screen hours. The channel said that there are several footage of his atrocities which can’t be aired.
“Sources suggest that such violent behavior among singer, often attributed to substance abuse, has become a worrying trend. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the complexities behind the glamorous façade of the music industry, where even celebrated artists like Rahat Fateh Ali Khan are not immune to allegations of misconduct and abuse,” Samaa TV added.
However, after the video went viral, the assaulted employee made a statement saying that the video was made by a blackmailer to defame the singer. Four videos were posted on Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s Instagram page, in which the employee, whose name seemed to be Naved Usmain, said that it was just a matter of missing bottle, there was nothing wrong with what his boss did with him.
Rahet appeared with the man and his father in a video, it was an internal matter between him and his disciple, and someone was blowing the matter out of proportion. He also said that he had immediately apologized after the act.
The employee’s father also supported the singer, saying that he has done a lot for them, and it was a minor incident. Rahet also got his driver to say that he has never misbehaved with him.
In another video, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan said that he had already apologized to his staff, and again apologising on the record. To this the employee said that Rahet is like his father figure and he can do whatever he wants. He said that the singer had just reacted strongly for the missing bottle, and whoever made the video and leaked it did it to blackmail and defame the singer.
The employee said that he has working with Rahet for 40 years, and he has always loved him.
The employee also appeared in two more videos, in which he said that he had lost a bottle, leading to the incident. He said that Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is his ustad, he can beat him and abuse him, there is nothing wrong, and the man who made the video of the assault is a big blackmailer.
The employee further said that he is embarrassed that the singer came to him to apologise to him. He said that he is sorry that Rahet had to apologise to him, and he has no objection to the way the singer assaulted him. He reiterated that Rahet can do whatever he wants with him, as he is like a father figure and he loves them very much.
