Pop icon Daler Mehndi has been convicted by law under pertinent sections of the Indian penal code for human trafficking. Both him and his brother Shamsher have been given a jail sentence of two years by a Patiala court, as per news reports. The 50 year old singer, songwriter, producer and performer was taken into custody today by the Punjab Police.
The plot was recently unveiled where Daler and his brother would disguise people along with their dance troupe or helpers and would illegally relocate them to the countries that he travelled.
Around 35 cases of fraud under immigration scandal have been levied on the two of them for accepting inordinate amounts as ‘passage fees’ in return of ‘relocation’ to the United States of America but failing repeatedly. List of allegation against the two brothers include around 5 trips to the United States alone and are as following. First set of trafficking included one in 1998 and 1999 where around 10 people were allegedly dropped off in the USA. Later on in October of 1999, when Daler and his brother were accompanying some actors to New Jersey, another set of three boys disguised as troupe members were allegedly dropped. Reports also say, Daler, on a trip again to the USA in the company of an actress had allegedly left three girls at San Francisco.
The complaint was filed by Bakshish Singh and in 2006, Patiala Police had filed two dismissal petitions stating Daler Mehndi to be innocent. But sufficient evidence on the judicial file including 35 other charges of fraud has led to further investigation and seizing of documents and files of those who had payed the alleged ‘passage money’ from Daler Mehndi offices at Cannought Place in New Delhi, says reports.
Moments after conviction for the alleged immigration scandal case by the law, Daler Mehndi has been awarded bail, according to news reports by ANI.
