Monday, February 9, 2026
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

    Rajgauri Pawar, Indian-Origin Girl In UK Gets 162 IQ Points, More Than Einstein And Stephen Hawking

    Rajgauri Pawar, Indian-Origin Girl In UK Gets 162 IQ Points, More Than Einstein And Stephen Hawking
    Rajgauri Pawar appeared in the British Mensa IQ Test in Manchester last month, and scored 162 the highest possible IQ for someone under the age of 18.

    Rajgauri Pawar, Indian-Origin Girl In UK Gets 162 IQ Points, More Than Einstein And Stephen Hawking

    86-Year-Old Min Bahadur, Aiming To Be Oldest Everest Climber, Dies At Base Camp

    86-Year-Old Min Bahadur, Aiming To Be Oldest Everest Climber, Dies At Base Camp
    Second climber to die on world's higest peak in a week

    86-Year-Old Min Bahadur, Aiming To Be Oldest Everest Climber, Dies At Base Camp

    Hate Crimes In Schools Doubled During Brexit Campaign: Report

    Hate Crimes In Schools Doubled During Brexit Campaign: Report
    There was an 89 per cent rise in police reports of hate crime in May 2016, the month before the referendum was held, compared to the same month the previous year.

    Hate Crimes In Schools Doubled During Brexit Campaign: Report

    Donald Trump's Saudi Visit Shows He Wants Strong Ties With Muslims

    Donald Trump's decision to make Saudi Arabia the first stop for his maiden overseas trip shows the US President's strong desire to build robust ties with the Islamic world and work with Muslim leaders to defeat radical terrorists, a top Trump supporter has said.

    Donald Trump's Saudi Visit Shows He Wants Strong Ties With Muslims

    Sikhs, US Lawmakers, Hail Decision As FIBA Lifts Ban On Headgear

    Sikhs, US Lawmakers, Hail Decision As FIBA Lifts Ban On Headgear
    A game changer for Sikh athletes and other religious groups, who have been prohibited from basketball competitions because of their articles of faith.

    Sikhs, US Lawmakers, Hail Decision As FIBA Lifts Ban On Headgear

    Indian-Origin Couple Gunned Down In San Jose In US By Daughter's Jilted Ex-Boyfriend

    Indian-Origin Couple Gunned Down In San Jose In US By Daughter's Jilted Ex-Boyfriend
      The police received a call from the victims’ 20 year-old son that the suspect, 24 year-old Mirza Tatlic, had shot his parents at their house on Laura Ville Lane, near St James Anglican Church, reports sanfrancisco.cbs. 

    Indian-Origin Couple Gunned Down In San Jose In US By Daughter's Jilted Ex-Boyfriend