Former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, who is lodged in Patiala jail in the road rage case, was admitted to Chandigarh’s PGIMER hospital with liver-related problems. According to the hospital, the cricketer-turned-politician is in stable condition.
On Monday, Sidhu was brought to PGIMER under heavy security from Patiala prison and underwent a medical examination at the hospital’s Hepatology department, an official statement said. More tests were expected to be conducted.
“Former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu has been admitted in the Heptology ward, Nehru Hospital Extension of PGIMER, Chandigarh today due to liver-related problems and requires further evaluation. He has been kept under observation and is stable now,” said the official statement.
Earlier, a special diet was recommended by the board of doctors at Rajindra Hospital. It was recommended after Sidhu moved an application before the court of Patiala chief judicial magistrate (CJM) on Friday seeking permission for a special diet to be made available to him from his home considering his health complications.
On May 19, Sidhu was sentenced to one year of imprisonment by the Supreme Court in the 1988 road rage case. The Supreme Court allowed the review application on the issue of sentence against Sidhu, saying, “We have allowed review application on the issue of sentence. In addition to the fine imposed, we impose a sentence of imprisonment of one year to be undergone by respondent Sidhu.”
The order was delivered by a bench of justices AM Khanwilkar and Sanjay Kishan Kaul.Earlier the court had reserved the review petition in a three-decade-old road rage case filed by the family of the victim.
Sidhu, responding to the application filed by the petitioner seeking to enlarge the scope of notice, submitted that the application was devoid of any merits and ought to be dismissed.Sidhu was acquitted in connection with the culpable homicide charges but was convicted of the offence of voluntarily causing hurt. The court had slapped a fine of Rs 1,000 on Sidhu. The court had also acquitted Sidhu’s associate, Rupinder Singh Sandhu, in the case.
The case has gone through Session Court, High court and Supreme Court.
The Sessions Court Judge of Patiala had on September 22, 1999, acquitted Sidhu and his associate, due to a lack of evidence in the case and giving the benefit of the doubt.
It was then challenged by the victim’s families before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had in 2006, convicted and sentenced Sidhu to three years imprisonment. Sidhu then filed an appeal before the apex court challenging this order.
On December 27, 1988, Sidhu allegedly beat Gurnam Singh on his head, leading to his death.
