HC relief for Daler Mehndi as Punjabi singer gets bail in human trafficking case
Mohali, September 15: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted bail to Punjabi singer Daler Mehndi in a 19-year-old human trafficking case.
Singer Daler Mehndi was booked by the Punjab Police in 2003 following a human trafficking complaint lodged by Bakshish Singh.
Daler Mehndi was sentenced to two years in jail by a trial court. Currently, he is lodged in Patiala jail. Daler Mehndi's brother Shamsher Singh was also a co-accused in this case, but he died in 2017. As per the orders, the singer's sentence stands suspended.
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The case
In July, a Patiala court dismissed the appeal filed by Daler Mehndi against his two-year jail sentence in a human trafficking case. Mehndi was present in the court and was arrested and sent to jail.
In 2018, the Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class had held both Daler Mehndi and his brother guilty and sentenced them to jail. They were, however, granted bail and they filed an appeal in the sessions court.
Earlier, on September 19, 2003, the Patiala Police had registered a case against Daler Mehndi and Shamsher Singh on a complaint by Bakshish Singh. Later, 35 more complaints were received against them accused both brothers of fraud.
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Later, challenging his conviction, Punjabi singer moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He sought the suspension of the sentence while arguing that the "trial judge’s failure to critically and objectively examine the material on record had resulted in manifest injustice".
-PTC News
