Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu has moved the Supreme Court challenging a Punjab and Haryana High Court verdict sentencing him to three-year imprisonment in a road rage death case.
In his appeal filed in the apex court, Sidhu, convicted of causing death of an elderly man at Patiala in 1988, has sought setting aside of the December 6 judgment of the High Court holding him guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The 43-year-old former Indian opener batsman urged the apex court to stay his conviction and sentence till final disposal of his appeal.
He contended that the incident took place 18 years ago and the High Court should not have reversed the trial court's order of acquittal without there being any compelling circumstances.
The High Court had suspended his sentence till January 31, 2007 to enable him file an appeal in the apex court.
The BJP MP from Amritsar, who resigned from the Lok Sabha after his conviction, can contest the ensuing assembly elections pending final adjudication of his case, if the apex court stays his conviction, and not just the sentence.
However, if he fails to get a stay order by January 31, he will have to surrender and go to jail.
The trial court had acquitted him but the High Court reversed that verdict and held him and co-accused Rupinder Singh Sandhu guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder for the death of one Gurnam Singh. The High Court had also imposed a fine of Rs one lakh each on the convicts and money would go to the victim's widow.
{{/usCountry}}The trial court had acquitted him but the High Court reversed that verdict and held him and co-accused Rupinder Singh Sandhu guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder for the death of one Gurnam Singh. The High Court had also imposed a fine of Rs one lakh each on the convicts and money would go to the victim's widow.
{{/usCountry}}Both of them were granted bail by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Chandigarh after they furnished bail bonds of Rs 10,000 each and a surety of like amount in accordance with the High Court's order.
The family members of the deceased have also publicly announced that they would move the apex court to get enhanced the sentence awarded to Sidhu and Sandhu.
Email Satya Prakash: satya.prakash@hindustantimes.com