The singer, who will soon file an appeal against the enforcement directorate (ED) order attaching his property, added that his Bollywood friends and colleagues have assured him of help if he ever needs it.
Even as his fans, friends and extended family in Pakistan are urging Adnan Sami to return home, the singer has found support in Bollywood. “Mumbai is my home and I am not going anywhere, especially after the overwhelming response and support I have received from the film industry,” said Sami.
The singer, who will soon file an appeal against the enforcement directorate (ED) order attaching his property, added that his Bollywood friends and colleagues have assured him of help if he ever needs it.
Industry insiders reveal that the veteran actor Dev Anand has offered to put up Sami and his wife at his Pali Hill bungalow if the worst happens and if they are left homeless. “I am not worried about not having a roof over my head. I have 45 days to appeal against the order. Besides, I have great friends in the city who have assured me with their kind words and gestures.
So I have nothing to fear,” he said.
Sami’s lawyer Vibhav Krishna told DNA on Thursday that they will appeal before the appellate forum of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in a few days. “The ED has not issued a confiscation order. Adnan will stay in his house, file an appeal, and await its adjudication,” Krishna said.
Meanwhile, legal experts point out that it could easily take several years before the ED can confiscate the flats, as the appeal in the appellate forum of FEMA and other higher courts is bound to take that much time.
Sami had bought the property in question in 2003 for Rs2.3 crore. He had taken a bank loan of Rs1.5 crore and claims to have never hidden his nationality in the official documents. “My property is registered in my name. Why didn’t the authorities or the bank check my documents at that time to confirm my nationality? I wasn’t aware that I couldn’t buy property in India,” he claimed.
“I’ve been in India for about 12 years now on a business visa. I have applied for Indian citizenship and have been paying taxes to the government on my earnings all these years,” Sami added.
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