Pop Singer Daler Mehndi And His Brother With Human Trafficking

A court in Patiala on Wednesday charged bhangra-pop singer Daler Mehndi and his brother with human trafficking .

Daler and his brother Shamsher have been charged with forgery, conspiracy and cheating. The singer was present when the charges were framed.

The framing of charges came despite the police seeking his discharge in the case saying that no evidence had been found against the singer who shot into fame with his number "Bolo tara ra ra" in the mid 1990s.

The police had earlier also tried to seek his discharge but the court did not allow this on a petition by the complainants.

The singer was arrested by the Punjab police in October 2003 after Shamsher and two others were named in an immigration fraud case - called "kabootarbaazi" in Punjab.

Complainants Bakshish Singh and others had told police that they had been duped by the Mehndi brothers and others who had promised to help take them abroad.

Gay Headlines Pry This Vibrator From My Cold, Dead Hand

The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to hear a challenge to Alabama's ban on the sale of sex toys, ending a nine-year legal battle and sending a warning to store owners to clean off their shelves.

An adult-store owner had asked the justices to throw out the law as an unconstitutional intrusion into the privacy of the bedroom. But the Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal, leaving intact a lower-court ruling that upheld the law.

Sherri Williams, owner of Pleasures stores in Huntsville and Decatur, said she was disappointed, but plans to sue again on First Amendment free speech grounds.

"My motto has been 'They are going to have to pry this vibrator from my cold, dead hand.' I refuse to give up," she said.

Gay Travel Is The Latest Buzz

MUMBAI: At Mumbai’s Kesari travels it is a toss-up between My Prince Charming offering tours for men - the men’s way, or My Fair Lady aimed at the woman who wants to let her hair down in the company of other women.

Gender specific international tours are gaining ground, as outbound tourists move beyond the catch all family-group tours. Though still largely stereotypical, with fashion shows for women and laddish activities for men, travel companies in India are experimenting with programmes worked with a focus on the travellers’ gender.

Among the early starters, Kesari travels has built up a community around its `My Fair Lady’ travellers. The women are offered a Club card, with discounts from card associate companies such as Tanishq, VLCC and others.

They also keep the link alive through get-togethers organised periodically. On offer are a variety of domestic and international destinations. Says Swati Kulkarni, who went on one such trip to Singapore last year, ”I had the time of my life, without having to worry about who was watching.’’ Says Mercury travels vice-chairman Ashwini Kakkar, “Women travellers have specific needs that are being targeted by the travel industry through the world.

Hotels have women-only floors and have begun to routinely treat women differently from their male clientele.

The men’s tours at Kesari focus on activities like scuba diving and speed boating. But there are other tour companies like Minago travels, that promise `much more fun.’ Targetted at `men only’, the tour operator based in suburban Mumbai has put up hoardings advertising tours to Thailand. strong>>Go where they go. Join Gay.date.com today!


Globally, special interest group tours cover almost everything from bicycle tours in the French Alps to wine and cheese specials. Hundreds of websites offer a range of gender specific tours. Gay tourism has also emerged as a niche business opportunity ably supported by gay guides to most cities detailing places to hang out and meet other like minded people.

“Some tour operators offer outbound tours to groups of gay people , but these are not advertised for obvious reasons,” says a Mumbai-based gay activist. Segmentation of travel into special products for niche audiences is a sign of a maturing market.Go where they go. Join Gay.date.com today!

Russian President Vladimir Putin Spells Trouble For Gays

The latest news for gays abroad is Russian president Vladimir Putin's admission that he would stand for the post of prime minister is a worrying sign for gay rights groups in the country, human rights activists have warned.

The move, announced last Monday, is being condemned by human rights groups, who have been horrified by the attacks on free speech and gay rights in the country during Mr Putin’s time in office.

An Amnesty International spokesman told pinknews.co.uk: “Amnesty International has serious concerns about the Russian government’s treatment of LGBT rights.

“We’ve had numerous homophobic attacks in Russia, some of them fatal.

“The authorities have failed to tackle discrimination because of sexual orientation.”

Should Putin become prime minister the post of president will in all probability be reduced to a toothless decoration, with Mr Putin continuing to exercise extensive control over the country.

For the Russian gay community, such an eventuality would signal a depressing development, wiping away any chance of seeing tangible change in the country.

Moscow’s mayor, Yuri Luzhkov is closely tied to Mr Putin. He is well known for his homophobic sentiments and banned a Gay Pride march in the capital in 2006.

Amnesty’s spokesman said: “LGBT people have been subject to violent attacks while attending clubs in Moscow.

“In 2006 the Gay Pride march was banned in Moscow.

“The Russian Orthodox and Muslim leaders have publicly criticised Pride and made homophobic statements.”An attempt to hold a Pride march in 2007 were denounced by the Mayor as “satanic”. For the second year in a row it degenerated into violent clashes with homophobic extremists.Go where they go. Join Gay.date.com today!