Singer Daler Mehndi receives 2 years in prison in a human trafficking case in 2003

Singer Daler Mehndi was on Thursday sentenced to two years in prison in a 2003 human trafficking case. Pronouncing the judgment, Patiala Additional Sessions Judge HS Grewal ordered Daler's immediate arrest Mehndi. As soon as the conviction was announced, Daler Mehndi was taken into custody by the Punjab police.

Daler Mehndi's bail plea was also rejected by the court, said lawyer Gurmeet Singh, the complainant's lawyer.

Daler Mehndi is accused of taking people abroad by presenting them as members of a troupe in 2003.

In the complaint, Daler Mehndi and his brother Shamsher Singh were accused of allegedly taking money to send people abroad illegally, concealing them as members of the 'troop'.

Daler Mehndi and Shamsher Singh have been charged under sections of the IPC for human trafficking and conspiracy besides the Indian Passport Act.

Daler Mehndi and Shamsher Singh were sentenced to two years in prison in 2018. However, they were released on bail and appealed.

The case against Daler Mehndi was registered at the Patiala Sadar police station. The case alleged that Daler Mehndi and Shamsher Singh took two troops to the United States in 1998 and 1999.

During this time, 10 people were presented as members of the group to help them travel to the United States, but were “dropped off” illegally.

According to reports, 35 complaints were filed against Daler Mehndi and his brother after a man named Bakshish Singh filed a complaint against the two brothers.

The plaintiffs had alleged that the brothers took “passenger money” from them to help them emigrate illegally to the United States, but failed to do so.

The complainant also alleged that the singer took money to take him to Canada.