Sidhu asks for ‘some’ time to surrender on medical grounds after getting 1 year imprisonment over 1988 road rage case

Navjot Singh Sidhu, Congress leader from Punjab has been sentenced for one year by Supreme Court in a 34 years old road rage case that had killed a man. Citing medical reasons, Sidhu has requested few more weeks to surrender, stirring up suspense over the unfolding.

The request was made today in Supreme Court by Sidhu’s lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi who appeared in the court. He was told by Justice AM Khanwilkar to approach the Chief Justice of India NV Ramana for the same. Justice Khanwilkar said, “Place a formal application and we will see. File this and mention it before the Chief Justice’s court, then we will see.”

Rigorous punishment

The Supreme Court had ordered on Thursday, one year of “rigorous punishment” for the politician who had quit as Congress party chief of Punjab after party’s defeat in the state election.

The Punjab counsel said opposing Sidhu’s request for more time to surrender, “34 years does not mean the crime dies. Now the judgment is pronounced, they want three-four weeks again.”

The case

The ruling was given by Supreme Court on Thursday on a petition that was filed by victim’s family. The man had died in 1988 after a brawl with Sidhu and a friend. In 2018 Sidhu was acquitted of murder. The family had approached the court asking for review of the 2018 order by Supreme Court and a harsher sentence for cricketer turned politician.

Gurnam Singh, a Patiala resident, got into an argument with Sidhu on December 27, 1988 over issue of parking spot. Sidhu and his friend Rupinder Singh Sandhu then allegedly dragged the victim out of his car and hit him, leading to his death later in hospital. An eyewitness had reported that Sidhu had hit victim’s head.

In 2018, court had ordered Sidhu of Rs 1000 fine for “voluntarily hurting a person”. But the court now has reviewed its order and said, “In addition to the fine imposed, we consider it appropriate to impose a sentence of imprisonment for a period of one year rigorous imprisonment.”