1988 road rage case: SC acquits Congress MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu

Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday was convicted under section 323 and acquitted under section 304( (II) in 1988 road rage case by Supreme Court.

The former cricketer had argued that there was "ambiguity" regarding the actual cause of death of Patiala resident Singh.

The cricketer-turned-politician, who deserted the BJP and joined the Congress days before the Punjab assembly election last year, holds the tourism portfolio in the Amrendra Singh Cabinet.

Sidhu was acquitted of the murder charges of Gurnam Singh by the trial court in September 1999.

However, the high court reversed the verdict and held him and co-accused Rupinder Singh Sandhu guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in December, 2006.

The high court sentenced them to three-year imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each on the convicts. In 2007, the apex court stayed the conviction of Sidhu and Sandhu in the case, paving the way for him to contest the by-poll for the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat.

As per the prosecution case, Sidhu and Sandhu were allegedly present in a Gypsy parked near Sheranwala Gate Crossing on December 27, 1988, when Gurnam Singh, Jaswinder Singh and one other were going to the bank to withdraw money for a marriage function.

As they reached Sheranwala Gate Crossing, Gurnam Singh driving a maruti car found a Gypsy in between the road and asked the occupant Sidhu and Sandhu to remove the vehicle for their passage following which the heated exchange took place.

Singh was beaten up by Sidhu and later fled the crime scene. The injured was taken to a hospital, where he was declared dead.