Bollywood link to migrant scam

By JAN McGIRK

It sounds like the dubious plot line of some cheesy pop video: ambitious young Indians dare to outwit immigration officials in Britain, Canada and the United States by temporarily joining the dance troupe of the world's brashest bhangra singer, Daler Mehndi. They strut past authorities and disappear.

And, while the star's elder brother is arrested for pocketing extortionate placement fees paid by the families of some young hopefuls without putting them on the troupe roster, the most recognisable Punjabi singer in Northern India jumps bail, slips out of his bejewelled turban and goes on the run.

The aga of Daler Mehndi has dominated headlines since a chorus line of 31 furious visa-seekers, who claim they were duped by Mehndi and his brother, filed fraud charges against the pair last month. Fans are thunderstruck that such a hugely popular singer as the 95kg Mehndi, whose bhangra music combines folk beats and lyrics from the north Indian state of Punjab with Western dance influences, can evade a police manhunt and vanish.

Four teams of Punjabi police broadened the search to New Delhi for any trace of the flamboyant singer, who was due to appear for a new bail hearing. Raids on his weekend house and his office were unsuccessful.

His elder brother, Shamser Singh Mehndi, is in police custody, charged with accepting £20,000 ($54,000) for human trafficking. The wives of both brothers are also facing charges.

"It's shocking," MTV presenter Carson Dalton said. "Daler Mehndi has been this much-loved youth icon for a long time, and now his name has been sullied."

Bakshish Singh, from Patiala, last month accused Shamsher Singh Mehndi of demanding 1.5 million rupees ($54,000) to be included on a stage tour with his famous brother. Despite handing over 1.3 million rupees ($46,000), the starstruck Sikh got neither a trip abroad nor a refund.

After his accusations were published, 30 more alleged victims came forward, blaming both brothers for fraud. Police said they suspect that Mehndi's scheme helped at least 100 people disguised as Indian entertainers to find economic exile.

Daler Mehndi was questioned twice last month by police. Outside the station, a rowdy crowd hurled rotten vegetables at the former taxi driver who rose to stardom on upbeat tunes and kitschy costumes. Parkash Singh Badal, a Sikh political leader, said: "A judicial probe at the highest level would be in order to get to the truth of the sordid drama."

"Some people are unnecessarily implicating me as I am famous, though it is also true that the complainant has named me," the 36-year-old pop singer said in a televised interview taped while he was in hiding. "Instead of dragging my name in the dirt, they should recommend me for an award for making banghra world-famous."

In the same way that Mehndi's gangsta-bhangra act spawned dozens of imitators, his alleged human trafficking scam has been copied already. Singer Sukhwinder Mann (whose stage name is Sukha Delhi), was arrested for allegedly accepting payment to sneak a pair of brothers into the US disguised as backup musicians.

And a travel agent obtained visas for 30 bhangra dancers to visit Seoul, but wary immigration authorities at Indira Gandhi airport concluded that some of these dancers looked suspiciously unfit. "The troupe was asked to give a performance at the airport hall," said the deputy police commissioner D.C. Srivastava. "Except for five girls, all the others were kept back. Investigations into the case exposed a racket."

While the hunt continues for Daler Mehndi, Indian authorities have started a crackdown on human trafficking. In the Punjab alone, it is estimated to be a $100 million annual business. Nearly 2500 Indians seek political exile in Britain every year and, while some claims are legitimate, other exile-seekers follow instructions to destroy their passports when they reach their destination and claim they are persecuted back in India to seek asylum.

An investigative team is expected in London and Birmingham next week to check out 700 immigration offences and hopes to probe other immigration rackets in Britain, Australia, and Canada.

A typical Mehndi pop video might close with the cops, unco-ordinated dancers, plaintiffs and judge all lined up shoulder to shoulder, wiggling to the bhangra beat. But no ending is yet in sight for the self-styled King of Bhangra.

- INDEPENDENT