SC acquits Navjot Singh Sidhu in 1988 road rage case
The SC has acquitted Punjab Tourism Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu in a 1988 road rage case, when he was accused of killing a man by hitting him on the head. A trial court had acquitted him and another of murder, but the HC reversed the verdict and awarded them three-year jail terms. Ironically, the Punjab government has supported the HC's judgement.
Sidhu allegedly beat up a man over parking
On December 27, 1988, Sidhu and Rupinder Singh Sandhu allegedly parked their Gypsy in the middle of the road near the Sheranwala Gate-Crossing, Patiala. When 65-year-old man Gurnam Singh reached the spot in a car, he asked them to move aside. Sidhu then beat up Singh. He also allegedly removed Singh's car keys before fleeing so he couldn't get medical help. Singh later died.
Trial court acquits them, but HC reverses order
In September'99, Sidhu was acquitted of murder, but in December'06, the Punjab and Haryana HC held them both guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. It also imposed a fine of Rs. 1L each on both. Sidhu and Sandhu challenged the verdict in the SC; Sidhu claimed the evidence was contradictory and medical opinion was "vague." In 2007, the court stayed their conviction.
Punjab government ironically stands against their minister
Incidentally, the Amarinder Singh government, under which Sidhu is serving as tourism minister, favored the HC's judgement in the SC. It argued that the "the trial court verdict was rightly set aside and Sidhu had given fist blow to deceased Gurnam Singh, leading to his death through brain haemorrhage." The trial court's conclusion that Singh had died of cardiac arrest was incorrect, it said.
