Navjot Singh Sidhu, Qaidi no 241383, in Patiala jail: How his day in prison will look like

Sidhu, 58, will now be housed in the Patiala central jail where his rival Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia is also lodged. On Friday, the Congress leader surrendered to serve the one-year imprisonment awarded by the Supreme Court in a 1988 road rage death case,

Pic courtesy: ANI

Patiala: On Friday, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu was brought to Patiala central jail after the Congress leader surrendered to serve the one-year imprisonment awarded by the Supreme Court in a 1988 road rage death case, that led to the death of a man. Navjot Sidhu lost the Amritsar East assembly seat in the 2022 assembly elections. But after the 2022 election results, Sidhu started actively raising the state issues and taking on the AAP-led government in the state.

Following the party's drubbing in the five states that went to the polls earlier this year, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had asked the party chiefs there to resign. The Congress appointed Amrinder Singh Raja Warring in place of Sidhu after its drubbing in the Punjab assembly polls.

Sidhu, 58, will now be housed in the Patiala central jail where his rival Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia is also lodged. For Prisoner Number 241383 Navjot Singh Sidhu, this is what a day in prison will look like:

- A day in jail begins at 5.30 am
- At 7 am, inmates are served biscuits or black chickpeas with tea
- The inmates have an early brunch at 8.30 am and then they go to work. Brunch comprises usually six chapatis, dal, or vegetables.
- The inmates do the work allotted to them and get done at 5.30 pm
- Dinner is served at 6 pm. Dinner includes six chapatis, lentils, or vegetables
- By 7 pm, inmates are locked inside their barracks

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 and also acquitted Sidhu`s associate, Rupinder Singh Sandhu in the case. The Sessions Court Judge of Patiala on September 22, 1999, acquitted Sidhu and his associate, due to a lack of evidence in the case and giving the benefit of the doubt. It was then challenged by the victim's families 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 December 27, 1988, Sidhu allegedly hit Gurnam Singh on his head, leading to his death.

(With Agency inputs)