Bhangra-pop singer Daler Mehndi got a reprieve Monday when a local court here allowed him use of his passport for travel abroad.

Mehndi is one of the accused in a human trafficking case in September 2003 case in which it was alleged that people would pay money to be part of his musical group to illegally migrate to other countries.

The complainant in the case, Bakshish Singh, had pleaded before the trial court that Mehndi be asked to surrender his passport to the court. Singh claimed that all other accused had surrendered their passports.

The judge dismissed the petition. The singer was present in the court during the hearing Monday.

Mehndi's counsel told the court that Mehndi had several stage performances abroad and required his passport. He said that Mehndi had been attending all court hearings here.

Mehndi had surrendered in the human trafficking case Oct 2003 and his passport was seized by the police. He was given back the passport by the court June 2004.

He and his brother Shamsher Mehndi were the main accused in the case.

The Punjab Police, which initially booked both brothers, later dropped charges against Daler Mehndi but the court did not allow it.