Daler Mehndi’s appeal against a two-year prison sentence in a 2003 case of human trafficking — for bringing people abroad by posing as troupe members — was denied on Thursday by a district court in Patiala, and he was arrested.

Also read: Who is Daler Mehndi?

Daler Mehndi and his brother Shamsher Singh were charged in the FIR 19 years ago with collecting money to illegally move individuals abroad using the “troupe” route. They were charged under sections of the Indian Penal Code for human trafficking and conspiracy, as well as the Indian Passport Act.

Both were sentenced to two years in prison by a judicial magistrate’s court in 2018, but were released on bail and filed appeals.

Also read: Daler Mehndi sentenced: All about the 2003 human trafficking case

Daler Mehndi’s appeal was denied on Thursday by Additional District and Sessions Judge HS Grewal. His bail appeal and desire to be freed on probation were also denied, thus he was transported to the Patiala jail. He can now appeal to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Also read: What is human trafficking?

The charge was filed at the Patiala Sadar police station, saying that the Mehndi brothers transported two troupes to the United States in 1998 and 1999, with ten people posing as group members to assist them in their migration. According to sources, 35 more complaints were filed against the brothers following the filing of this FIR by a guy named Bakshish Singh, reported NDTV.

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Three years later, the local police petitioned the court for Daler Mehndi’s release, claiming that he was innocent. However, the judge declined to release him, citing “sufficient evidence” for further inquiry. It took another 12 years for the sentencing, then another four for the appeal decision.