Navjot Sidhu convicted for homicide; resigns his LS seat

Chandigarh/New Delhi, Dec 1 (UNI) The Punjab and Haryana High Court today convicted Navjot Singh Sidhu in a 1988 road rage case in which one man was killed, forcing the former cricketer, who shot to nationwide fame after co-anchoring the popular 'Laughter Challenge' TV show, to resign from the Lok Sabha.

Sidhu submitted his resignation to Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee after he was permitted to do so by the top leadership of his party, BJP.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today convicted Sidhu for causing the death of one Gurnam Singh during an altercation in 1988 and overturned the judgment of a Patiala sessions court in this regard.

A Divison Bench, headed by Justice M S Gill, convicted Sidhu under section 304(2) of the IPC for committing culpable homicide not amounting to the murder of Gurnam Singh.

Soon after the court delivered its judgment, a crest-fallen 43-year-old Sidhu told reporters at Parliament House that he was writing to BJP president Rajnath Singh and senior party leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani seeking their permission to resign his Lok Sabha seat of Amritsar.

Sidhu was elected to the House in the last Lok Sabha elections in May 2004. He took active part in Parliamentary debates particularly those relating to sports and Punjab. He also continued to be an expert commentator on cricket and co-anchored the mega television show' Laughter Challenge' along with film and TV personality Shekhar Suman.

In his letter to the Speaker, Sidhu said the High Court has passed an ''adverse order'' against him in the 18-year-old case arising out of an alleged road rage incident.

''The Hon'ble High Court will hear my lawyers on Wednesday with regard to quantum of punishment. Without resorting to technical arguments with regard to what the quantum of punishment will be and my right to challenge the judgement in appeal, I tender my resignation as member of Lok Sabha,'' he wrote in the letter The Amritsar MP stressed he had ''always stood for truth and moral grounds and these principles are above any office or power that I hold.'' ''He had been granted permission'' to resign, BJP spokesperson Sushma Swaraj said at the party's daily briefing where the MP was also present.

''He had done so holding high moral values in esteem,'' she said.

However, Mrs Swaraj also sought to differentiate between the Shibu Soren case and Sidhu, saying that the former Coal Minister had been held guilty for murder under section 302, conspiracy, abduction and moral turpitude, while the ex cricketer was merely guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. While in the first case, the sentence could range upto capital punishment, in Sidhu's case, the maximum punishment was upto 10 years imprisonment or fine or both.

''Mr Sidhu had upheld the high tradition of moral principles as he had resigned from the Lok Sabha, while Shibu Soren had not yet resigned from Parliament,'' she pointed out.

Sidhu refused to comment on the case, noting it was still subjudice and it was not proper for him to say anything at this point of time.

However, he noted that there was a lot of difference between a ''roadside brawl and a planned murder.'' Mrs Swaraj said that although the party had permitted him to resign from the Lok Sabha, Sidhu would continue to work for the party, ''which holds him in high esteem.'' ''He would also be campaigning for the party in the forthcoming assembly elections in Punjab,'' she added.

In his letter to the party leaders, Sidhu said that he would continue to serve the party and meet and help the people of his constituency.

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