File photo of Punjabi pop singer Daler Mehndi.
Punjabi pop singer Daler Mehndi was convicted by a Patiala court in a 2003 human trafficking case on Friday. According to news agency ANI, he has been sentenced to two years in prison. ANI also reported that he was later granted bail.
The human trafficking case against Mehndi and his brother Shamsher was registered in 2003 at Patiala sadar police station, after one Bakshish Singh, a resident of Balbehra village in the district, alleged that he was duped by the duo who had received Rs 4.50 lakh from him on the pretext of sending him abroad as a member of pop singer’s troupe.
After registration of the case against the Mehndi brothers in ’03, 31 similar complaints were received against them. Bakshish Singh and some other persons stated in their complaint that Mehndi and his brother had taken Rs 1 crore on the pretext of sending them abroad but the deal never materialised.
The court took cognisance of the 31 complaints after it realised that the brothers had duped the complainants of around Rs 1 crore. It then ordered framing of charges against the duo on the basis of these cases.
Shamsher died in October 2017.
Meanwhile, the singer said that he will appeal in higher court. “I have been granted bail. We will appeal in higher court,” he told ANI.