In an FIR, Daler Mehndi and his brother Shamsher Singh were held responsible for taking money illegally to send people abroad via the ‘troupe’ route.
Patiala: Pop singer Daler Mehndi was sent to jail for two years after a court dismissed his appeal against a jail term in the 2003 human trafficking case. Daler Mehndi had taken a group of people abroad showing them as his troupe members.
In an FIR, the singer and his brother Shamsher Singh were held responsible for taking money illegally to send people abroad via the ‘troupe’ route. The duo was charged under the Indian Penal Code for human trafficking and conspiracy besides the Indian Passport Act. The two were given two-year jail terms each in 2018 but were released on bail later.
The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge H S Grewal on Thursday dismissed Daler Mehndi’s appeal and subsequently, he was taken to the Patiala jail. He now has the option to go to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Initially, one case was registered at the Patiala Sadar police station which alleged that the duo had taken two “troupes” to the US in 1998 and 1999 and 10 persons, who were a part of the troupes, were helped to illegally migrate. The FIR was filed by one Bakshish Singh and afterwards, at least 35 other complaints were filed against the brothers.
lLater, the local police filed discharge petitions in the court, saying Daler Mehndi is innocent. But the court refused to discharge him and said there was “sufficient evidence” for further investigation. The sentencing took 12 more years and then four years were lost in making a decision on the appeal.