In a major setback, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu has been sentenced to one year imprisonment by the Supreme Court in a road rage case that is three decades old. The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the review application on the sentence against Sidhu, saying, “We have allowed review application on the issue of sentence. In addition to the fine imposed, we impose a sentence of imprisonment of one year to be undergone by respondent Sidhu.” The order was delivered by a bench of Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and Sanjay Kishan Kaul. On 27 December 1988, Sidhu allegedly beat Gurnam Singh on his head, leading to his death.
Sidhu refused to comment after the sentencing. “No comments,” he told reporters. Later the former Punjab Congress chief, 58, who had participated in a protest on fuel prices on Thursday morning, tweeted, “Will submit to the majesty of law…” For over three decades, the case has dogged Sidhu, who recently quit as Punjab Congress chief after his party’s defeat in state elections.
Earlier the court had reserved the review petition in a three-decade-old road rage case filed by the family of the victim. Sidhu opposed the plea seeking to enlarge the scope of the road rage case against him citing an earlier order of the apex court, which held that there was no evidence that the death of the victim was caused by a single
blow.
Sidhu’s submission came while replying to an application filed by family members of the victim seeking to enlarge the scope of notice in the review petition. Sidhu, responding to the application filed by the petitioner seeking to enlarge the scope of notice, submitted that the application was devoid of any merit and ought to be dismissed.
Sidhu was acquitted in connection with the culpable homicide charges but was convicted of the offence of voluntarily causing hurt. The court had slapped a fine of Rs 1,000 on Sidhu. The court had also acquitted Sidhu’s associate, Rupinder Singh Sandhu, in the case.
The case has gone through Session Court, High Court and Supreme Court. The Sessions Court Judge of Patiala had on 22 September 1999, acquitted Sidhu and his associate, due to lack of evidence in the case and giving the benefit of the doubt.
It was then challenged by the victim’s family before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had in 2006, convicted and sentenced Sidhu to three years imprisonment. Sidhu then filed an appeal before the apex court challenging this order.
On 27 December 1988, Sidhu allegedly beat Gurnam Singh on his head, leading to his death. According to the prosecution, Sidhu and Sandhu were in a Gypsy parked in the middle of the road near the Sheranwala Gate Crossing in Patiala, when the victim and two others were on their way to the bank to withdraw money. When they reached the crossing, it was alleged that Gurnam Singh, driving a Maruti car, found the Gypsy in the middle of the road and asked the occupants, Sidhu and Sandhu, to remove it. This led to a heated exchange. Sidhu allegedly beat Gurnam Singh on his head, leading to his death.
WITH AGENCY INPUTS