A Patiala court on Friday sentenced Punjabi pop-singer Daler Mehndi to two years in jail in a 15-year-old human trafficking case. A fine of ₹1,000 was also imposed on him.
Daler was, however, released on bail bond.
The Patiala police had booked Daler and his brother, Shamsher Mehndi, on a complaint filed by one Bakshish Singh. Around 35 more complaints, levelling charges of fraud against the brothers also came up later.
The complainants alleged that the brothers had taken ‘passage money’ from them to help them migrate to the United States illegally, but failed to do so.
Mr. Singh alleged that the singer had taken money for taking him to Canada.
It has been alleged that the Mehndi brothers took two troupes in 1998 and 1999 during the course of which 10 persons were taken to the U.S. as group members and “dropped off” illegally.
Daler, on a trip to the U.S. in the company of an actress, allegedly “dropped off” three girls in San Francisco.
The brothers had taken a troupe to the U.S. in October, 1999, in the company of some other actors, during which three boys were “dropped off” in New Jersey.
The Patiala police had raided the singer’s offices in Connaught Place in New Delhi and seized case files of those who had paid the Mehndi brothers passage money.
