Earlier, the Supreme Court had let off Navjot Singh Sidhu after imposing a fine of Rs 1,000 but later, in 2018, it agreed to review the case. The family of Gurunam Singh had requested the court to review the case.
New Delhi: In a severe blow to cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, the Supreme Court on Thursday sentenced him to one year in jail in a 1988 road rage incident in which Gurunam Singh, a resident of Patiala had died. The apex court has awarded maximum possible punishment under Section 323 of the IPC and he will be taken into custody by the Punjab Police.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had let off Sidhu after imposing a fine of Rs 1,000 but later, in 2018, it agreed to review the case. The family of Gurunam Singh had requested the court to review the case.
Setting aside the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s May 15, 2018 order, which had convicted Sidhu of culpable homicide and had announced a three-year jail term, the Supreme Court had let him off with a fine of Rs 1,000. Although the top court had found Sidhu guilty of “voluntarily causing harm” to a 65-year-old person who lost his life, it had imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 only.
The Supreme Court agreed to review the case in September 2018 after a review petition was filed by the family of Gurunam Singh in September 2018. The court then issued a notice to Navjot Singh Sidhu.
On December 27, 1988, Sidhu had allegedly beaten 65-year-old Gurnam Singh over a parking issue near the Sheranwala Gate crossing in Patiala. It was alleged the Sidhu had parked his vehicle in the middle of the road and a scuffle had broken out when Gurunam Singh asked them to move aside. Singh’s family had alleged that Sidhu not only beat Gurnam Singh, he also fled the spot after removing his car keys so that couldn’t get medical help.
