New Delhi, Oct 14: Famous Punjabi pop singer Daler Mehndi today claimed that he has been "framed" in the case of illegal trafficking of people outside the country and blamed his brother Shamsher Singh for it. Maintaining that he was "innocent and not running away from law", Mehndi told a private news channel that his name has been maligned because of his brother and he would like the misunderstanding about him to be cleared.

"I was innocent. I am innocent and I will be proved innocent," he said adding that the celebrities in India should not be dragged into controversies without proof and the chief minister and Punjab police should consider this.

"There are a lot of rumours going around. I have come to the studio to clear that. I was busy with my work and not on the run," the singer, whose anticipatory bail plea has been rejected by a Delhi court, said.
He said that he should be given an award by the Punjab government for his contribution for making Punjabi songs popular.

"I request Captain Sahib (Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh) that instead of maligning me, I should get some award for doing so much for the state and making Punjabi songs popular," he said.

He claimed he was in Mumbai when Punjab Police raided his farmhouse in the capital. But was pleased to know that the policemen carried out their work "cordially", he said.
Bureau Report