SC hearing on Sidhu's bail plea inconclusive; to commence tomorrow

New Delhi, Jan 17 (UNI) The hearing of ex-MP Navjot Singh Sidhu's petition in the Supreme Court, seeking stay of his conviction in a road rage case in which he has beeen sentenced to three years imprisonment by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, remained inconclusive today.

Senior Counsel Harish Salve appearing for Sidhu contended before the Bench comprising Justices G P Mathur and R V Raveendran that the offence committed by his client on December 27, 1988 has nothing to do with his public life which he started in 2004 and at that time there was no case pending against him as he had already been acquitted by the trial court on September 22, 1999.

Sidhu had resigned his Lok Sabha seat after his conviction and imposition of a fine of Rs one lakh by the High Court for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, in the death of 65-year-old Gurnam Singh due to the beating given by the ex-cricketer and his friend Rupinder Singh Sandhu, whose appeal is also pending in the apex court.

The filing of nominations for the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat vacated by Sidhu begins tomorrow and the last date of filing nominations is January 25, 2007.

Mr Salve relied on the three bench judgment in Patil's case whose election to Karnataka State Assembly was upheld by this court on the grounds that his conviction in a rape case had been stayed by Bombay High Court before he presented his nomination papers to the returning officer. Hence Mr Patil was elegible to contest the elections.

He also argued that conviction of public servants in corruption cases cannot be stayed but the case of his client is altogether different.

Complainant, Gurnam Singh's son has also filed an appeal in the Supreme Court for enhancement of the sentence, which has also been admitted.

Arguments will coimtinue tomorrow. Sidhu was present in the Supreme Court complex but not in the court room.

UNI