US envoy says he is ascertaining facts about King Khan's detention

New Delhi, Aug.15 (ANI): U.S. Ambassador to India, Timothy J. Roemer, on Saturday said that he was looking into reasons for the detention of Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan at Newark International Airport.

"We are trying to ascertain the facts of the case -- to understand what took place," said the Ambassador.

"Shah Rukh Khan, the actor and global icon, is a very welcome guest in the United States. Many Americans love his films," Ambassador Roemer added.

Khan was detained for about two hours on Saturday morning at Newark airport in New Jersey, USA.

Khan had arrived here to attend a South Asian related event.

Khan was released after Congress MP Rajiv Shukla spoke to the authorities in the US and the Indian consulate.

He was detained after his name flashed on a computer and was asked several questions about the purpose of his visit.

Khan's hand baggage was checked. The authorities did not even allow him to make a phone call for nearly an hour.

Reacting to the incident, Khan said, "I told them I was a movie star and had recently visited the country for the shooting of my film. Nothing seemed to convince the immigration officer. There were other immigration officers, who even vouched for me but this particular officer, did not listen to anyone. I even told them I had an invitation from the South Asian community and was there to attend an event."

Reacting to the news, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, said, "I don't think frisking is conducted with a religious bias in mind, but in the US, there have been many such cases when authorities go overboard.

Soni demanded that American citizens should also be frisked in the same manner that Indians are frisked.

The incident, ironically, comes at a time when Khan is preparing for Karan Johar's 'My Name Is Khan', a film touching upon the minority being targeted for no fault of theirs only because of suspicion. (ANI)