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The Times of India
The Times of India
National
Bharat Khanna | TNN

Daler Mehndi, Navjot Sidhu in same barrack in Punjab's Patiala jail

PATIALA: Punjabi singer Daler Mehndi — who was sent to jail on Thursday after the additional session court of Patiala upheld a lower court’s decision sentencing him to two-year jail term in a 2003 human trafficking case — has been allotted the same barrack where former Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu has been lodged.

A jail official, on conditions of anonymity, confirmed that Mehndi was kept in the Ward NO. 10 where Sidhu is also undergoing his sentence in the 1988 road rage case in Central Jail Patiala.

SAD (B) leader Bikram Singh Majithia has been lodged in the neighbouring barrack in the same jail.

On Thursday, Mehndi was taken into custody after the court upheld the decision of his conviction and also dismissed Daler’s petition to release him on probation.

He was sent to Central Jail Patiala after his medical examination was conducted at government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala.

Daler entered the jail premises at around 6pm where the documentation and verification procedures were carried out by the jail authorities.

The jail officials revealed that he had his food and diet inside jail according to the jail menu.

No special diet or home-cooked food has been demanded by Mehndi.

Sidhu, lodged since May 20, is being provided a special diet after being recommended by the board of doctors.

Bikram Majithia, lodged since February 24, was denied permission for home-cooked food he had sought after entering jail.

Meanwhile Mehndi’s lawyer LM Gulati revealed that an appeal in the Punjab and Haryana High Court is being filed against the conviction orders upheld by the Patiala additional session court.

He added, "Daler's health is completely fine and no home-cooked food or special diet has been demanded for him."

Mehndi was earlier convicted in March 2018 by the then Patiala judicial magistrate Nidhi Saini for two years under sections of cheating and criminal conspiracy.

However, he was granted bail after furnishing a bail bond and decided to challenge the verdict in higher court.

Mehndi, his brother Shamsher Singh, Dhian Singh and Bulbul Mehta were booked at Sadar Patiala police station in 2003 on the complaint of Bakshish Singh of Balvera village in Sanaur.

Later 30 more complainants came forward alleging they were cheated on a promise to be sent abroad in return for money but not doing so.

Daler was convicted in 2018 but Bulbul Mehta was acquitted whereas Shamsher Mehndi and Dhian Singh died during the trial of the case.

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