US Ambassador says 'sorry' to Shahrukh Khan over airport detention

New Delhi, Aug 12: US Ambassador to India Richard Verma on Friday apologised to Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan for his detention at Los Angeles airport and said the US was working to ensure that it does not happen again.

Verma's comment on Twitter was appreciated by Khan who thanked him for his concern. "Sorry for the trouble at LAX @iamsrk. We are working to ensure it doesn't happen again. Your work inspires millions, including in the US," Verma tweeted.

Khan had tweeted that he was detained at Los Angeles airport but it was not clear when the incident occurred. Responding to Verma's tweet, the 50-year-old actor said, "No trouble sir, respect the protocol & not expecting 2 b above it. It’s just a tad inconvenient. Thx for ur concern."

It is the third time in seven years that Khan has been stopped by US immigration officials at the country's airports. The actor expressed disappointment on social media after the incident.

"I fully understand & respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks," (sic) the actor tweeted.

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia in the US Department of State Nisha Desai Biswal also apologised to Khan for the "hassle". "Sorry for the hassle at the airport, @iamsrk - even American diplomats get pulled for extra screening," Biswal tweeted.

In April 2012, Khan was detained at the White Plains airport near New York for over two hours by immigration officials. In 2009, he was detained at the Newark Airport in New Jersey for nearly two hours.

PTI