Daler Mehndi appeared in Patiala court; argument on his appeal begins
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
Bollywood and Punjabi pop singer Daler Mehndi today appeared in the court of HS Grewal, additional district and session’s judge Patiala, in connection with an appeal, that he had filed against the conviction orders of the Court of Judicial Magistrate Nidhi Saini, which held Daler Mehndi guilty under section 420 (Cheating) and 120 (B) of the Indian Penal Code (Conspiracy) on March 16,2018.
He along with advocates, his son-in-law Navraj Hans came to Patiala. Later Mehndi appeared before the court.
“Daler Mehndi and his brother, Shamsher Singh, were found guilty of illegally sending people abroad disguised as members of his troupe by charging hefty “passage money”, in a 2003 human trafficking case. He was sentenced to two years in jail and today he came as arguments begins on his appeal” said the complainant’s advocate.
Mehndi was granted the bail after he furnished a bail bond on March 16,2018.
Two other accused, Shamsher Mehndi and Dhian Singh died during trail, while a third Bulbul Mehta, an employee of Mehndi’s firm, was acquitted for lack of evidence. After the verdict, Daler Mehndi challenged the verdict and filed an appeal in the session’s court.
The Patiala police had booked Daler and his brother, Shamsher Mehndi, on a complaint filed by one Bakshish Singh. Around 35 more complaints, leveling 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.
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.
In 2006, the Patiala Police filed two discharge petitions stating Daler Mehndi to be innocent, but the court insisted the singer be prosecuted as there was “sufficient evidence against him”.
September 16,2021
