A district court in Patiala today rejected singer Daler Mehndi's appeal against a two-year prison sentence in a 2003 case of human trafficking, which involved taking victims abroad by passing them off as members of his troupe. He was then arrested.

Today, the appeal of Daler Mehndi was denied by Additional District and Sessions Judge HS Grewal. He was transported to the Patiala jail after his appeal for bail and request for release on probation were also denied. Currently, he has the choice of going to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

In the FIR Daler Mehndi and his brother Shamsher Singh were charged with accepting money to smuggle individuals abroad illegally using the "troupe" route 19 years ago. In addition to the Indian Passport Act, they were prosecuted under the human trafficking and conspiracy sections of the Indian Penal Code. In 2018, a judicial magistrate's court sentenced both to two years in prison, but they were later released on bail and filed appeals.

The Mehndi brothers are accused of taking two troupes to the US in 1998 and 1999, during which 10 people were represented as group members to aid in their immigration. The case was filed at the Patiala Sadar police station. 35 further complaints were filed against the brothers following this FIR by a man by the name of Bakshish Singh.

The neighbourhood police filed discharge applications in the neighbourhood court three years later, claiming Daler Mehndi was guiltless. The court, however, ruled that there was "sufficient evidence" to warrant additional inquiry and refused to release him. It took another 12 years for the punishment, and it will now take four more years for the appeal to be decided.