Bollywood News

The Mumbai customs has given a clean chit to actor Aishwarya Rai with regard to the mystery parcel containing undeclared foreign currency, that was sent to her in September from Rotterdam. Customs officials have also started making inquiries in Rotterdam about Avineshwar, who allegedly sent the parcel, which contained 23,000 euros, to Rai, sources said on Monday.

Rai appeared before officers of the customs’ special investigation and intelligence branch (SIIB) at the international airport, Sahar, at noon on Monday. She categorically denied any knowledge of the parcel, its content, particularly the cash, or the sender. Her statement was recorded under section 108 of the Customs Act, and if found to be false later, it can be used against her. But for the moment, customs seems to be satisfied with her replies.

Commissioner A K Prasad, in charge of SIIB, said, “She has denied knowledge of this person or the parcel. The investigations are over from this end, unless we get something fr-om Rotterdam. At this point of time, we are giving her a clean chit”.

Rai reportedly expressed her anxiety about such incidents and asked the customs officers what they could do to prevent them. “Am I going to waste my time explaining away such incidents, in which I have no role, but which can cause a lot of annoyance,’’ she asked of the senior officers present there.Rai, clad in a white shirt and blue jeans, looked “very nervous’’, said an officer who saw her inside the airport. On Wednesday, her father Krishnaraj had visited the Custom House at Ballard Pier to meet the commissioner and offer cooperation in the probe.Asked if Aishwarya was thinking of initiating legal action against Avineshwar, her counsel Girish Kulkarni said that was possible, but there were jurisdictional problems and as of now, they had not discussed any such possibility.