Wednesday, February 11, 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

    Tysen Benz, 11-Year-Old Michigan Boy, Hangs Himself After Girlfriend Fakes Suicide

    Tysen Benz, 11-Year-Old Michigan Boy, Hangs Himself After Girlfriend Fakes Suicide
    Tysen Benz was at home when he saw social media posts indicating that his 13-year-old girlfriend had committed suicide. The posts were a prank, but the 11-year-old boy apparently believed them.

    Tysen Benz, 11-Year-Old Michigan Boy, Hangs Himself After Girlfriend Fakes Suicide

    British-Indian Educationist Asha Khemka Named 'Asian Businesswoman Of The Year'

    British-Indian Educationist Asha Khemka Named 'Asian Businesswoman Of The Year'
    Khemka was honoured with one of the UK’s top civilian awards - Dame, the female equivalent of knighthood – in 2014 and has since won several accolades for her work in education in Nottingham.

    British-Indian Educationist Asha Khemka Named 'Asian Businesswoman Of The Year'

    First Hindu Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard Slams Trump's Syria Strikes

    The first Hindu elected to the Congress, Hawaiian Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, slammed President Donald Trump's decision to strike against Syria as reckless, the media reported.

    First Hindu Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard Slams Trump's Syria Strikes

    My Firing By Trump Was Deliberate Decision: Preet Bharara

    Bharara made his first public appearance on Thursday since being unceremoniously removed by Trump last month as US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

    My Firing By Trump Was Deliberate Decision: Preet Bharara

    In Possible Hate Crime, 26-Yr-Old Indian Man Shot Dead By Armed Robbers In US

    In Possible Hate Crime, 26-Yr-Old Indian Man Shot Dead By Armed Robbers In US
    A 26-year-old Indian man has been shot dead allegedly by two masked armed robbers at a convenience store of a gas station in the US’ Washington state, his family said on Friday.

    In Possible Hate Crime, 26-Yr-Old Indian Man Shot Dead By Armed Robbers In US

    Three Dead, 8 Injured As Truck Crashes Into Stockholm Store

    Three Dead, 8 Injured As Truck Crashes Into Stockholm Store
    A truck drove into a crowd on a shopping street and crashed into a department store in central Stockholm on Friday, killing three persons and injuring eight in what the Swedish Prime Minister said appeared to be a terrorist attack.

    Three Dead, 8 Injured As Truck Crashes Into Stockholm Store