Shah Rukh Khan detained for the second time

18 Apr- Shah Rukh Khan, one of Bollywood's most popular actors, was detained at the New York airport recently, and the Indian Embassy in Washington has taken up the issue with the U.S. Department of State.

According to a report by Bernama, a press statement issued by the Indian Ambassador to the U.S. reads:

"In order to convey the deep concern that has been expressed nationwide in India over this incident, the Embassy of India has taken up the matter with the U.S. Department of State and sought the State Department's intervention to institute appropriate measures to avoid recurrence of such an incident in the future."

Apart from that, the embassy also released the following statement:

"The Consulate General immediately intervened with the concerned authorities for his early clearance, which was done within 75 minutes of his arrival. Khan thereafter left the airport. The same evening, USCBP authorities, through an email to the Consulate General conveyed their profound apology for the incident," said the Embassy.

The Bollywood star, affectionately nicknamed as SRK is known for his box office films such as "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" and "My Name Is Khan", arrived in the United States via private jet at the White Plains airport near New York last Friday afternoon (U.S. time).

However, about half an hour after his arrival, the Consulate General of India in New York was informed that the US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) failed to clear him at the airport.

Meanwhile, the U.S. said SRK's detention at New York airports twice is not racial profiling, and according to US State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said this time Khan was not 'detained' but 'delayed'.

"He was temporarily delayed before admission to the U.S. We have expressed our regret about the incident and recognize that he is a very renowned artist and humanitarian," Toner told reporters.