Navjot Sidhu To Be Released From Jail Tomorrow, Says Tweet From His Account

Top Punjab Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, who the Supreme Court sentenced to one year in jail in a road-rage incident in which a man was killed 34 years ago, will be released from Patiala Jail tomorrow, a tweet from his official account said. His lawyer HPS Varma also confirmed the development, news agency PTI said.

"This is to inform everyone that Sardar Navjot Singh Sidhu will be released from Patiala Jail tomorrow. 

(As informed by the concerned authorities)," the tweet said.

Mr Varma said as per the Punjab Prison rules, a convict with good behaviour is entitled to general remission.

"He is most likely to be released on Saturday from the Patiala jail," PTI quoted him saying.

The Supreme Court had last year in May ordered one-year "rigorous imprisonment" for the 59-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, who had quit as Punjab Congress chief after his party's defeat in the state election.

The court judgement was on a petition by the family of a man who died after a brawl with Mr Sidhu and his friend in 1988. The family had asked for a harsher sentence and a review of a 2018 order from the Supreme Court acquitting him of murder.

On December 27, 1988, Mr Sidhu got into an argument with 65-year-old Gurnam Singh, a resident of Patiala, over a parking spot. Mr Sidhu and his friend, Rupinder Singh Sandhu, allegedly dragged Gurnam Singh out of his car and hit him. He later died in a hospital.

Mr Sidhu was accused by an eyewitness of killing Gurnam Singh with a blow to the head.

The Supreme Court in 2018 ordered Mr Sidhu to pay a fine of ₹ 1,000 rupees for voluntarily hurting a person.

However, the court, reviewing its own order, said it considered it "appropriate" to jail Mr Sidhu, saying "some aggravated culpability" must be attached if a person dies.