Former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday evening surrendered before a Patiala court at around 4 pm after he was awarded one-year rigorous imprisonment by the Supreme Court in a 1988 road rage case that led to the death of a 65-year-old man. Gurnam Singh had died after being hit by Sidhu.
Sidhu surrendered after his legal team failed to secure a week’s time for his surrender from the Supreme Court. At around 5 pm, Sidhu was taken to Mata Kaushalya Hospital in Patiala for a medical examination and was sent to jail.
He would be lodged at the Patiala Central Jail, where his political archrival Bikram Singh Majithia has been incarcerated following his arrest in a drugs case.
Former Congress MLA Navtej Singh Cheema – who was strongly backed by Sidhu as the party nominee from Sultanpur Lodhi in the Assembly polls, but lost – drove the former cricketer to the Patiala court. Apart from Cheema, Sidhu’s supporters, including ex-MLAs Ashwani Sekhri, Hardial Singh Kamboj, Surjit Singh Dhiman and around a dozen other senior party leaders and former MLAs reached out to Sidhu at his Patiala residence and accompanied him to the court.
Sidhu wore a blue outfit and red headgear as he arrived at the court and appeared sombre as he entered the court.
His advisor Surinder Dalla told reporters outside the court that the Congress leader and former PPCC chief had a health issue and needed treatment so that “a clot is not formed in the leg”. Dalla said Sidhu had a medical problem and added: “Our concern was if he can get adequate treatment in jail”.
He said Sidhu had surrendered and was in judicial custody. “He does not need any VIP treatment, but should be given the medical care he needs.”
Dalla underlined that Sidhu always batted for Punjab. “The moment you start knowing him closely, you will realize how he had been batting for Punjab’s issues,” he said, listing the Congress leader’s contribution as a cricketer for the country. Dalla said Sidhu had no taint of corruption. “I am an ordinary journalist, Navjot Sidhu’s income would be less than mine. Please go through the income return he has filed,” said Dalla.
Earlier in the day, Sidhu sought more time from the Supreme Court to surrender, saying he had some medical issues to settle. Justice Khanwilkar asked him to file a formal application and make a request before Chief Justice of India N V Ramana. “File a formal application… and mention before the Chief Justice’s court, then we will see,” said the court.
