M A I N   N E W S

Daler sent to police custody
Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 21
Duty Magistrate Sat Pal today remanded Punjabi singer Daler Mehndi in police custody till December 24 in the human trafficking case registered against him by the Patiala police on September 19.

The pop star, who was brought to the court today afternoon after having been arrested by the Delhi police and handed over to the Patiala police yesterday on a transit remand, remained in the courtroom for more than half an hour.

The prosecution claimed that Bakshish Singh, a resident of Balbehra, near here, had in his complaint to the police claimed that he had met Daler Mehndi through one Surinder Singh. Following this, Surinder and others also arranged Bakshish Singh’s telephonic talk with Daler. Later, he and other complainants in the case met Daler in Delhi, where he demanded Rs 5 lakh from them. The prosecution also claimed that that all accused, including Daler, had threatened the complainants in the case.

The prosecution had demanded a 14-day police remand of Daler so that the passports of the complainants and the money paid to him could be recovered. It said six persons had given statements against Daler under Section 161 and that there were another 26 complainants in the case who had claimed that they had paid money to the pop singer and the other accused in the case.

Daler’s counsel said the prosecution had not been able to link Daler with any of the other accused. The lawyer said the singer had severed professional relations with his brother Shamsher and other accused in 1998 - 99 and that raids conducted on his business and residential premises had not yielded anything.

He pointed out that Daler had already joined police investigation in the case and as the matter was already pending before the Supreme Court, there was no need for a police remand.

However, the prosecution attempt to seek Daler’s police remand in connection with another case registered against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act was met with ridicule by the Duty Magistrate. The prosecution had claimed that a person claiming to be Daler’s secretary had rung up police officer Harwinder Singh, who was in charge of the computer cell, and threatened him with dire consequences if he did not delete information regarding Daler from the computer which seized from the office of the singer.