M A I N   N E W S

CDs seized from Daler’s office
Pop star seeks anticipatory bail
Tribune News Service

Patiala, October 9
The human trafficking case involving Daler Mehndi and his brother has been transferred back to the Patiala Police. Patiala Zone Inspector-General of Police Shashi Kant had transferred the case to the Sangrur Police yesterday.

According to sources a direction in this regard was given by the Director-General of Police (DGP), Dr A.A. Siddiqui. Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police Paramraj Singh Umranangal confirmed this development. He said the case would now be investigated under the supervision and guidance of Patiala range Deputy Inspector-General of Police Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota.

The Patiala Police has meanwhile started examining the compact discs seized during raids conducted at the offices and other premises of the pop star in Delhi even as it examined whether any official in the US Embassy could be hand in league with the pop star in granting visas to persons presented as members of his dance troupe.

Meanwhile police sources disclosed that the police party which had been sent to Delhi to raid the offices of Daler Mehndi in Connought Place besides the house of his brother Shamsher in Vikaspuri as also the houses of the other accused Surinder Singh and Tejinder Singh Laddi had returned with a computer and some compact discs which they said were likely to throw light on the allegations levelled against the pop singer and his brother.

The Patiala Police is also in the process of investigating whether any Embassy staff could also be involved in the alleged racket. This suspicion is grounded in the fact that the pop singer’s troupe was able to get visas without any hitch despite the fact that it sometimes had members who had applied for the visa for the first time.

The police is also likely to redouble its efforts to nab Surinder Singh and Tejinder Singh Laddi. The sources said the raids at the residence of Shamsher in Delhi had also not yielded the desired results with the police unable to track down Shamsher’s wife. Shamsher has been brought back from Delhi.

Daler Mehndi today moved a Delhi court praying for anticipatory bail.

The application came up before Additional Sessions Judge A.K. Mendiratta, who fixed November 13 for hearing after the police submitted that the file pertaining to the case, which was registered in Patiala, was yet to reach them.

The application, moved through counsel Mohit Suri and Inder Preet Singh Josh, reiterated that Daler had severed his relations with brother Shamsher Singh Shera, who has already been arrested in the case.

The singer claimed he had issued public notice in an English daily dated March 2, 2001, asking his brother to desist from impersonating him and advising the public not to be misled by such impersonations or misrepresentations.

Seeking anticipatory bail, Daler submitted that he apprehended arrest in the “false case” in which he had been charged with Section 406 (criminal breach of trust) and Section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code.