SC acquits Sidhu of culpable homicide in road rage case

But holds him guilty of voluntarily causing hurt

Navjot Singh Sidhu Navjot Singh Sidhu | Navjot Singh Sidhu's Facebook account

The Supreme Court on Tuesday convicted Punjab Tourism Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu for voluntarily causing hurt to a 65-year-old man, but spared him of of culpable homicide and a jail term in the 1988 road rage case.

A bench of Justices J. Chelameswar and Sanjay Kishan Kaul said Sidhu is guilty of Section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of IPC and is fined Rs 1,000 for the offence.

"A1 (Sidhu) is guilty of Section 323 of IPC. Awarded no sentence but fine of Rs 1,000 for the offence. A2 (Rupinder Singh Sandhu) is acquitted," the bench said. 

Last month, Sidhu's advocate argued in the court that it was not his client's fault behind the death of the victim in the road rage case.

After the Punjab government sought his conviction in the road rage case, Sidhu, on April 13, said he would submit to the majesty of the law.

The road rage incident dates back to December 27, 1988, when Sidhu had allegedly punched one 65-year-old Gurnam Singh in Patiala, Punjab, resulting in the latter's death.

The Sessions Court Judge of Patiala on September 22, 1999, had acquitted Sidhu and his associate, Rupinder Singh Sandhu, due to lack of evidence in the case.

The trial court had acquitted Sidhu, whereas the Punjab and Haryana High Court reversed his acquittal, convicting him under Section 304 Part II, Indian Penal Code (IPC), for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The victim's family had appealed to the Supreme Court that earlier imprisonment sentence of three years given by the Punjab and Haryana High Court should be enhanced. However, the Punjab government appealed to the apex court to uphold three-year imprisonment.