Ash queried over mysterious package

MUMBAI: Bollywood’s glamour queen Aishwarya Rai has been questioned by the customs department that stumbled upon a mysterious postal parcel addressed to her containing 65,000 euros (Rs 3.7 million) in cash. “The package was sent to Aishwarya Rai a month back from the Netherlands. We have sent her a notice regarding the package seeking her clarification and we are waiting for her response,” Commissioner of Customs (Imports) AK Prasad said.

“We are not disclosing the name of the consignee for sake of the investigation. The matter is being handled by the department’s Special Investigation and Intelligence Branch (Imports),” Prasad said. “We need to record Aishwarya’s statement before we lodge any case in the connection,” he added.

Prasad said the cash was detected during a routine check of parcels at Mumbai’s foreign post office. The parcel bore the address of the actor’s Bandra residence.

Aishwarya preferred not to comment on the matter. Efforts to contact her business manager-cum-spokesperson Hari Singh proved futile.