Supreme Court stays Navjot Singh Sidhu's conviction

New Delhi, Jan 23: The Supreme Court today stayed the conviction ofcricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu in a road rage case,paving the way for his entry to the election fray for the by-electionto the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat.

A Bench comprising Justice G P Mathur and Justice R V Raveendrandirected that the order of conviction passed by the Punjab and HaryanaHigh Court would not be operative till the final disposal of Sidhu'sappeal against the sentence of three-year imprisonment and a fine of Rsone lakh for the offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The court said the application filed by Sidhu for the suspensionand stay of his conviction and sentence deserved to be allowed.

One Gurnam Singh was beaten to death by Sidhu and his friend RupinderSingh Sandhu on December 27, 1988 in Patiala district of Punjab. Thetrial court had acquitted both on September 27, 1999. The complainanthad filed an appeal against the trial court order, which was reversedby the high court in December last year.

Sidhu and Sandhu were granted bail by the apex court on January12. The court, on January 18, had reserved its verdict on the plea ofSidhu for a stay on his conviction.

Sidhu was a BJP MP from Amritsar but the seat fell vacant when he resigned following his conviction and sentence.

The last date of filing nominations to the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat is January 25.

A person sentenced for not less than two years cannot contestelections unless and until his conviction is stayed by the appellatecourt.

Today, the court also suspended the sentence of two petitioners till the final disposal of their appeal.

The complainant has also filed an appeal in the court forenhancement of the sentence of the duo. All appeals have already beenadmitted by the apex court.

UNI

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