Senior Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu
Highlights
- Sidhu was sentenced to one-year RI by the SC in a 1988 road-rage case
- Sidhu's lawyer told SC that his 58-yr-old client wants to organise his medical affairs
- After SC's verdict on Thursday, Sidhu had said he 'will submit to the majesty of the law'
Navjot Singh Sidhu news: Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday surrendered before the Patiala court in a 1988 road rage case. Earlier in the morning, he had pproached the Supreme Court seeking a few weeks' time to surrender to undergo the one-year sentence imposed on him.
The matter was mentioned by Sidhu's lawyer and senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Friday morning before Justice AM Khanwilkar who had headed the bench which delivered the verdict against Sidhu on Thursday. "He will of course surrender shortly," Singhvi told the bench, adding, "We want a few weeks to surrender. It is after 34 years. He wants to organise his medical affairs."
The bench, also comprising Justice JB Pardiwala, told Singhvi that the judgement in the matter was passed by a special bench. "You can file that application and mention it before the Chief Justice. If the Chief Justice constitutes that bench today, we will consider that. If that bench is not available, it will have to be constituted. A special bench was constituted for that matter,' the bench observed.
Singhvi then said he will try to mention the matter before the Chief Justice.
The top court had on Thursday sentenced Sidhu to one-year rigorous imprisonment in a 1988 road-rage case, saying any undue sympathy to impose an inadequate sentence would do more harm to the justice system and undermine the public confidence in the efficacy of law. The court enhanced the sentence of Sidhu to one-year rigorous imprisonment in the road rage incident in which a 65-year-old man had died.
Congress leaders reach Patiala
Meanwhile, a few Congress leaders and supporters turned up at Sidhu's residence in Patiala in the morning. Former Congress legislator Surjit Singh Dhiman was among those to reach his residence.
Patiala District Congress Committee president Narinder Pal Lali, in a message to party supporters on Thursday night, had said that Sidhu would reach the court at 10 am o surrender. The cricketer-turned politician's wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu also reached the Patiala residence late last night.
After SC delivered its verdict, Sidhu, 58, had taken to Twitter to say he "will submit to the majesty of the law".
What happened in 2018
Earlier in 2018, the apex court had held Sidhu guilty of the offence of "voluntarily causing hurt" to the 65-year-old man in the case and spared him a jail term and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000.
"We feel there is an error apparent on the face of record... Therefore, we have allowed the review application on the issue of sentence. In addition to the fine imposed, we consider it appropriate to impose a sentence of imprisonment for a period of one year," the bench said while pronouncing the verdict on Thursday.
The family of Gurnam Singh, who died in the 1988 incident, said they finally got justice after 34 years. "We are grateful to God. We have finally got justice after 34 years," Gurnam Singh's son Narvedinder Singh said.
READ MORE: Amarinder Singh's party trolls Navjot Singh Sidhu after road rage verdict: 'Thoko Tali'
