Navjot Sidhu Walks Out of Jail, Accuses Centre of Conspiring to Impose President's Rule in Punjab

Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu walked out of Punjab’s Patiala jail on Saturday evening after nearly completing the Supreme Court imposed one-year rigorous imprisonment in a 1988 road rage case.

In his first public remarks after his release, Sidhu targeted the Centre, saying there is no such thing as democracy right now. “Conspiracy to bring President’s Rule in Punjab. Minorities being targeted. If you try to weaken Punjab, you will become weak," he added.

Sidhu further likened Rahul Gandhi to a revolution and said he will rattle the government.

“I was supposed to be released around noon but they delayed it. They wanted media people to leave. Whenever a dictatorship came to this country a revolution has also come and this time, the name of that revolution is Rahul Gandhi. He will rattle the government," he said, according to ANI.

Ahead of his release, a tweet from his official Twitter handle said that he would address media outside the Patiala jail after his release.

Earlier in the day, several Congress leaders and supporters assembled outside the prison to accord the 59-year-old former cricketer a grand welcome upon his release and chanted ‘Navjot Sidhu zindabad’.

‘Dhol’ players have also been arranged by his supporters standing outside the jail to welcome the cricketer-turned-politician.

Speaking to reporters at his residence on Saturday, Sidhu’s son Karan Sidhu said the family has been eagerly waiting for his release from the jail. He said it had been a tough time for the family but now they were happy to see him coming out of the jail.

“I am suspecting that they are delaying his release due to the presence of media and crowds here. Jail authorities have assured me that he will be released today. They had said that he will be released at noon, but it’s late now," he said.

Several posters and hoardings of Navjot Sidhu were put up at many places in Patiala city by Sidhu’s supporters to welcome him.

Sidhu was sentenced by the Supreme Court in May 2022. A bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and SK Kaul allowed the review plea filed by the victim’s family on the issue of the sentence awarded to 58-year-old Sidhu. Soon after the apex court’s order, the former Punjab Congress chief surrendered.

The top court had imposed rigorous year-long sentence, which would end in May this year. He spent about 10 months in jail.

The case hearing continued for over 33 years, from the sessions court in Patiala to the Supreme Court.

What is the Case Against Navjot Singh Sidhu?

In 1988, Sidhu was accused in a road rage case in which Gurnam Singh from Patiala had died.

According to the prosecution in the case, Sidhu and his aide Rupinder Singh Sandhu were in a Gypsy parked in the middle of a road near the Sheranwala Gate Crossing in Patiala on December 27, 1988, when the victim and two others were on their way to the bank to withdraw money.

When they reached the crossing, it was alleged, that Gurnam Singh, driving a Maruti car, found the Gypsy in the middle of the road and asked the occupants, Sidhu and Sandhu, to remove it. This led to heated exchanges. According to reports, Sidhu had thrashed and hit Gurnam Singh on his head which later led to his death.

Sidhu was acquitted of murder charges by the Sessions Court of Patiala in September 1999. However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court reversed the verdict and held Sidhu and Sandhu guilty under section 304 (II) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC in December 2006.

It had sentenced them to three years in jail and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each on them. Sidhu then challenged the high court’s order in the Supreme Court.

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