TN gov voices regret, ‘ unconvinced’ scribe accepts apology

The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved verdict on appeals filed by former cricketer and Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu in a road rage case resulting in the death of 65- year- old man in 1988. A Bench of Justices J. Chelameswar and Sanjay Kishan Kaul reserved verdict even as counsel for Punjab maintained that the apex court should confirm the Punjab and Haryana high court judgment awarding three years imprisonment treating it as culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

It was also submitted on behalf of Mr. Sidhu that no witness came forward voluntarily to depose and statements of those witnesses recorded by the police are contradictory Mr Sidhu also argued that Gurnam Singh died of a heart attack. The coaccused questioned the high court verdict, which reversed the trial court's order of acquittal. He said there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that the victim died of the alleged assault during arguments.

But the counsel for Punjab contradicted this submission and said, "There is no evidence that the person in the road rage died because of a heart attack" and Sidhu could be punished for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Mr Sidhu had allegedly hit a 65- year- old man, Gurnam Singh, on the head during an argument in a road in Patiala on December 27, 1988. Gurnam Singh died in hospital of a haemorrhage. In 2007, the Supreme Court suspended Mr Sidhu's sentence and granted him bail after his appeal.