September 12,2018:

Supreme Court has agreed to entertain a petition seeking review of its May 15 verdict that let off Cricketer-turned Politician Navjot Singh Sidhu with Rs 1,000 fine in a 1988 road rage case in which a Patiala resident Gurnam Singh died, stating that there was no sufficient evidence to prove the harsher charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against him.

Apex Court Bench comprising of Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul issued notice to Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday on Petition filed by victim’s family.

Apex Court Bench's order states that,"Notice is restricted to the quantum of sentence qua Sidhu only. Sidhu refused to comment on ‘reopening’ of the case".

Earlier, Suprme Court Bench comprising of Justice J Chelameswar (since retired) and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul had set aside the Punjab and Haryana HC's verdict convicting Sidhu of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and had awarded him three-year jail. After examining all evidence, including medical record, the top court concluded that Sidhu was wrongly convicted.

Sidhu was punished under Section 323 of Indian Penal Code for Voluntary Causing Hurt.

Supreme Court had stated that the case was more than 30 years old and there was no past enmity between Accused and victim. What also weighed in the court’s mind was that background in which the incident took place and that no weapon was used by the accused.

On December 27, 1988, Sidhu and his friend Rupinder Singh Sandhu had got into an argument with Gurnam over parking space in Patiala. Two allegedly dragged Gurnam out of his car and hit him. Gurnam later died. Sidhu was discharged by the trial court but the HC in 2006 held him guilty.

A year later, the SC on Sidhu’s appeal, stayed the sentence and granted him bail, enabling him to contest the Lok Sabha bypolls from Amritsar.

Source HT

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