Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
International

Indian-Origin Councillor Gurpal Atwal Banned As Taxi Driver In UK For Indecent Behaviour

IANS, 25 Jul, 2017 12:31 PM
    A 45-year-old Indian-origin Labour councillor in the UK has been banned from working as a taxi driver for a number of offences, including alleged indecent and racist behaviour.
     
     
    A court also heard Gurpal Atwal swore and made racist comments to a man as well as using unlicenced drivers to ferry children to school.
     
     
    Atwal, councillor for Oadby and Wigston in Leicester, was denied a licence to run a taxi firm in Leicester after a court heard a string of allegations, the Daily Mirror reported.
     
     
    Loughborough Magistrates Court ruled the Leicester City Councillor was "not fit and proper" to hold a taxi licence.
     
     
    "In essence, there were a number of allegations. From 2015, there was a consistent number of complaints, no charges, but alleged offences and contact with police. The council's single sole duty is to protect the public," Council legal representative Dave Gill said.
     
     
    “I was told your client is using unlicensed drivers on school runs and then he sat in his pants outside a swimming pool because he believes that's acceptable," Borough licensing enforcement officer Tracey Aldwinckle, said.
     
     
    Further alleged misdemeanours were outlined to the court last Friday, including claims of racism and that Atwal swore at a man.
     
     
    Anthony Schiller, defending, said there was "no indication" from any member of the public of aggressive or racist behaviour.
    He said his client has worked for over 20 years as a taxi driver in Leicester.
     
     
    The court heard Atwal owned a 50 per cent stake in Handsome Cars, in Leicester, and is taking his former business partner to high court in regards to a sum of about 300,000 pounds.
     
     
    "It's often said a business dispute can be worse than a divorce. You have to use the mythical scales of justice to make the decision," Schiller said.
     
     
    Atwal denied the accusations, claiming they were "all fabricated".
     
     
    "I am not a racist person. I treat everybody fairly. They [the statements] were all fabricated to discredit my character," he said.
     
     
    Judicial official refused to renew Atwal's taxi licence which runs out next year and ordered him to pay 1,250 pounds court costs. 

    MORE International ARTICLES

    Telangana Man Shot At After Argument In California Departmental Store, Critical

    Telangana Man Shot At After Argument In California Departmental Store, Critical
    Attacks against people of Indian origin have of late increased in the US.

    Telangana Man Shot At After Argument In California Departmental Store, Critical

    Man With Terminal Cancer Conquers Mount Everest With Months To Live

    Man With Terminal Cancer Conquers Mount Everest With Months To Live
    A 47-year-old British man with terminal cancer is believed to have become the first cancer patient to climb Everest, the world’s highest mountain.

    Man With Terminal Cancer Conquers Mount Everest With Months To Live

    Indian-Origin Former CEO Adesh Kumar Tyagi Charged With Fraud In US

    Indian-Origin Former CEO Adesh Kumar Tyagi Charged With Fraud In US
    A 49-year-old Indian-origin former CEO of an IT firm has been charged with fraud in the US for allegedly misrepresenting facts that his company supported customer operations in nearly 20 countries, including in India.

    Indian-Origin Former CEO Adesh Kumar Tyagi Charged With Fraud In US

    Twin Brothers From India Sentenced For Attacking Compatriot In Singapore

    Twin Brothers From India Sentenced For Attacking Compatriot In Singapore
    Lakshmanan and Raman Pothiyappan, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of causing grievous hurt to their fellow countryman and colleague, Thevvan Velayutham, 41.

    Twin Brothers From India Sentenced For Attacking Compatriot In Singapore

    Punjab-Origin Man Majinder Singh Jailed For Causing Serious Injury By Dangerous Driving In UK

    Punjab-Origin Man Majinder Singh Jailed For Causing Serious Injury By Dangerous Driving In UK
    Majinder Singh was disqualified from driving for four years after being found guilty of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

    Punjab-Origin Man Majinder Singh Jailed For Causing Serious Injury By Dangerous Driving In UK

    Meet The Indian-American Immigrants Helping To Launch A New Chain Of Trump Organization Hotels

    Meet The Indian-American Immigrants Helping To Launch A New Chain Of Trump Organization Hotels
    Chawla Hotels was founded by the late V K Chawla, who was described as a war refugee from India. His son, Dinesh Chawla, said his father came to the United States as a legal immigrant from Canada.

    Meet The Indian-American Immigrants Helping To Launch A New Chain Of Trump Organization Hotels