Congress politician Navjot Singh Sidhu petitioned the Supreme Court on Friday, a day after he was sentenced to one year in prison for a three-decade-old road rage case, requesting a few weeks’ time to surrender for medical reasons. Senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi represented the cricketer-turned-politician before an apex court panel led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar. “Of sure, he’ll give up soon.” According to PTI, Singhvi told the judge, “We want a few weeks to surrender.”
“It’s been 34 years.” Singhvi continued, “He wants to organize his medical issues.”
Singhvi was ordered by the Supreme Court to file a suitable plea and present it before the Chief Justice of India (CJI) bench.
“You are free to file that application and bring it up before the Chief Justice.” We shall consider it if the Chief Justice forms that bench today,” said the highest court bench, which also included Justice J.B. Pardiwala. “If that bench isn’t accessible, we’ll have to make one.” For that matter, a special bench was formed,” the supreme court bench stated.
Singhvi stated that he will attempt to bring the case before the Chief Justice.
Sidhu was already fined Rs 1,000 and will be brought into custody by the Punjab Police as per the decision.
The maximum penalty under Section 323 of the IPC has now been imposed on the Congress leader.
On December 27, 1988, Sidhu and his aide Rupinder Singh Sandhu were in a Gypsy parked in the middle of a road near the Sheranwala Gate crossing in Patiala, when the victim and two others were on their way to a bank to withdraw money, according to the prosecution.
According to the news agency, when they arrived at the crossing, Gurnam Singh, driving a Maruti car, discovered the Gypsy in the middle of the road and urged the passengers, Sidhu and Sandhu, to remove it.
According to the prosecution, this resulted in heated arguments, during which Gurnam was battered and taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A trial court cleared Sidhu of murder charges in September 1999.
In December 2006, Punjab and Haryana High Court overturned the decision, finding Sidhu and Sandhu guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 (II) of the Indian Penal Code.
They were convicted to three years in prison and fined Rs one lakh apiece by the High Court.
On May 15, 2018, the Supreme Court overturned the High Court order but found Sidhu guilty of injuring a senior citizen.