Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu surrendered before a Patiala court on Friday for one year’s rigorous imprisonment imposed by the Supreme Court in a 1988 road rage case. Sidhu had earlier in the day approached the apex court seeking a few weeks’ time to “settle his medical matters”.
After surrendering, Sidhu was taken for medical examination and will be kept in Patiala Jail. Sidhu’s media advisor Surinder Dalla said, “He (Navjot Singh Sidhu) has surrendered before the Chief Judicial Magistrate. He is in judicial custody. Medical examination and other legal procedures will be followed.”
The apex court had on Thursday sentenced Sidhu to one year rigorous imprisonment in connection with the road rage incident in which 65-year-old man Gurnam Singh died. According to the prosecution, Sidhu and his associate Rupinder Singh Sandhu were in a gypsy parked in the middle of a road near Sheranwala Gate crossing in Patiala on December 27, 1988, when the victim and two others were on their way to the bank. withdraw money.
When they reached the intersection, it was alleged that Gurnam Singh, who was driving the Maruti car, found the gypsy in the middle of the road and asked Sidhu and Sandhu to remove it. This led to a heated argument. Sidhu was acquitted of murder charges by the trial court in September 1999.
The top court, in its judgment, said any “undue sympathy” for awarding inadequate punishment would do more harm to the justice system and undermine public confidence in the effectiveness of the law.
The Supreme Court had in May 2018 convicted Sidhu of the offense of “voluntarily causing hurt” to a 65-year-old man, sentenced him to jail and fined Rs 1,000. The court had then set aside the Punjab and Haryana High Court order holding Sidhu guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and sentenced him to three years in jail in the case.
The top court had also acquitted Sidhu’s aide Rupinder Singh Sandhu of all charges saying there was no credible evidence about his presence with Sidhu at the time of the crime in December 1988.
Sidhu’s counsel, senior advocate AM Singhvi, had sought a few weeks’ time to surrender before a bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar. “Sure, he will surrender soon,” Singhvi said, adding, “We want a few weeks to surrender.” This is after 34 years. He wants to settle his medical affairs. ,
Some Congress leaders and supporters, including Patiala District Congress Committee President Narinder Pal Lali, reached the residence of the former party’s Punjab unit chief on Friday morning. Some party leaders, including Navtej Singh Cheema, accompanied him from his house to the district court, which is located close to the former Punjab Congress president’s residence.
Following the Supreme Court ruling, 58-year-old Sidhu had said on Twitter that he would “present the glory of the law” as the cricketer-turned-politician rode an elephant earlier in the day to register a symbolic protest against rising prices in Patiala. of essential items.
(with PTI inputs)
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