Navjot Sidhu guilty of causing hurt in 1988 road rage case, but spared jail term

The Supreme Court on Tuesday convicted Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu convicted for voluntarily causing hurt in the in 1988 road rage case. He, however, was acquitted for murder in the same case.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday found cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu guilty of voluntarily causing hurt in the 1988 road rage case. He was, however, spared the jail term with the top court acquitting him 'for culpable homicide not amounting to murder'.

“Navjot Singh Sidhu acquitted under section 304 (II){culpable homicide not amounting to murder} and convicted under section 323(punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) in 1988 road rage case by Supreme Court,” tweeted news agency ANI.

The road rage incident dates back to December 27, 1988, when Sidhu had allegedly punched 65-year-old Gurnam Singh in Patiala resulting in the latter`s death. The Sessions Court Judge of Patiala on September 22, 1999, had acquitted Sidhu and his associate, Rupinder Singh Sandhu, due to lack of evidence in the case.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court later reversed his acquittal, convicting him under Section 304 Part II, Indian Penal Code (IPC), for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The victim's family had appealed to the Supreme Court that earlier imprisonment sentence of three years given by the Punjab and Haryana High Court should be enhanced. However, the Punjab government appealed to the top court to uphold three-year imprisonment. 

With agency inputs