The British Asian Trust, founded by King Charles III, has severed ties with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan following the emergence of a covertly recorded video wherein the singer is seen physically assaulting an individual he referred to as his student. The Trust, denouncing any form of violence under any circumstances, made the decision after a thorough review of the video.
A spokesperson for the trust stated, “The British Asian Trust maintains a stringent policy against abusive behavior and has terminated its association with Mr. Khan. We strongly condemn any form of violence, regardless of the circumstances. All accusations of abuse are taken seriously, and an urgent investigation will be conducted.”
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was appointed as an ambassador for the British Asian Trust in 2017 by then-Prince Charles. The viral video, recorded clandestinely, displayed Khan slapping and punching the individual, whom he claimed to be his student, while questioning the whereabouts of his “bottle.” The video also captured Khan pulling the individual by the hair and forcefully throwing him to the ground.
In response to the video, Khan asserted that the bottle in question contained water blessed by a spiritual leader and emphasized that the altercation was a private matter between him and his student. In a series of Instagram videos, Khan identified the student and his father, stating, “The relationship between a teacher and student involves expressing love when the student excels and administering punishment when he does wrong,.”
The student, Naveed Hasnain, defended Khan, asserting that the bottle held water blessed by a spiritual leader and claimed to have forgotten its location at the time. Hasnain described the video as an attempt to blackmail and defame his teacher, emphasizing the love Khan showed them. Hasnain denied that the incident constituted abuse, and Khan contended that he sought forgiveness from Hasnain immediately after the altercation, although no formal apology was made on video.
