In a setback to former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, the Supreme Court on Thursday sentenced him to one-year in jail in a 1988 road rage case.
A bench headed by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar allowed the review petition by the family of victim Gurnam Singh against the top court’s 2018 verdict, which let off Sidhu with a mere Rs 1,000 fine. The top court enhanced the sentence to Sidhu to one year.
The top court said, “We have allowed a review application on the issue of sentence…we impose a sentence of imprisonment of one year to be undergone by the respondent…” The order in the matter will be uploaded later in the day.
On March 25, the Supreme Court reserved the verdict on a review petition seeking a direction to enhance the sentence awarded to Sidhu in the 1988 road rage case.
The bench, also comprising Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, noted that the issue before it was only whether despite the court having issued limited notice on (point of) sentence the provision under which sentence has been imposed needs to be looked at.
The bench reserved the judgment after hearing detailed arguments in the matter. The plea was filed by the kin of the deceased, Gurnam Singh seeking a relook on the 2018 judgment.