SC grants bail to Sidhu

New Delhi, Jan 12 (UNI) The Supreme Court today granted bail to former BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu and another accused in a 19-year-old road rage case.

The cricketer-turned-politician and one Rupinder Singh Sandhu were sentenced to three years imprisonment by the Punjab and Haryana High Court convicting them both for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

A bench comprising Justices G P Mathur and Lokeshwar Singh Panta also admitted all the three appeals, two by the convicts and one by the complainant for enhancement of the sentence awarded to Sidhu and Sandhu.

The apex court also issued to notices to Punjab government on the issue of suspension of conviction and fixed January 17 for hearing of the issue.

The duo had surrendered yesterday and are lodged in Patiala Central Jail.

Earlier, senior counsel Harish Salve, appearing for Sidhu, contended before the court that it was a case of no evidence against the former cricketer and the High Court should not have reversed the order of acquittal passed by the trial court.

Sidhu and Sandhu had allegedly beaten to death one Gurnam Singh in 1988 after an altercation on car parking.

The court directed that the petitioner should be released on a bail bond for Rs 25000 and two sureties of the same amount, to the satisfaction of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Patiala.

Mr Salve sought a stay on the conviction on the grounds that Sidhu has to file his nomination for by-election to Amritsar Lok Sabha seat, from which he resigned after being convicted in the case.

UNI