Punjabi pop singer Malkit Singh said he has served legal notices to several TV news channels and newspapers for tarnishing his image by linking his name in a human trafficking case.

Singh said that his name was unnecessarily dragged into an immigration fraud case in which a female singer from Punjab, Dolly Malkit Singh, was caught in Delhi last month while trying to take 28 illegal immigrants as part of her musical troupe.

He said that his name had been tarnished as TV channels and some newspapers linked the immigration racket to him, adding that he would soon file defamation suit against the channels.

"The saddest part is that none of these TV channels or newspapers even tried to apologise for the mistake or correct themselves. They played up my name without verifying facts or even speaking to me," Singh said.

The singer, who holds a British passport and lives in Birmingham, shot into fame in the mid-1980s with his Punjabi bhangra-pop number Tutak tutak tootian.

"I have been hurt by the media of our own country. I held them in great regard. This has upset me because I was preparing for the launch of my new album which is to be released in December," he said.