Review Against Reduction Of Navjot Singh Sidhu's Sentence : Supreme Court Adjourns To Feb 25

The Supreme Court today adjourned the review petition preferred against the 2018 verdict of the Top Court that had reduced the sentence of Navjot Singh Sidhu to Rs 1000 from 3 years imprisonment in a 1987 road rage accident in which Gurnam Singh had died.

The hearing has been adjourned to February 25.

The review petition filed by the legal representatives of the victim was listed before the bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and SK Kaul.

When the matter was called for hearing, Justice AM Khanwilkar, the presiding judge of the bench brought to the counsels' notice that a letter for adjournment had been circulated.

Appearing for Navjot Singh Sidhu, Senior Advocate P Chidambaram while requesting the bench to hear the matter after February 21, 2022 said,

"I was asked only this morning. A new Advocate on Record has been appointed. I request for adjourning the matter for the same to be heard after February 21, 2022."

On Counsel's submission, Justice AM Khanwilkar said, "There's a statement that the matter was listed unexpectedly. But the matter was already on the advanced list. We are only rebutting the position. Registry should not be cornered like this."

While Chidambaram requested for the bench to take up the matter after 4 weeks, Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra appearing for the petitioners objected :

"They were served on September 28, 2018. Please have it after 2 weeks. Your lordship has issued notice in this".

The Senior Counsel also requested the bench to consider enhancing the scope of notice.

"Review can be dismissed in chambers. We had put it for hearing after notice on a particular aspect. The problem will be the reply will be based on the nature of notice," remarked Justice Kaul.

On Luthra objecting to the Court listing the matter after 4 weeks, Justice Khanwilkar said, "We'll have it after 4 weeks. You didn't come since 2018 & now you want the matter to be heard after 2 weeks? Nothing will happen if the matter is not heard for 2 or 4 weeks."

"On lighter side, 2 weeks is crucial for him," remarked Justice Kaul( The Punjab assembly elections are scheduled on February 20).

Accordingly the bench adjourned the matter to be heard on February 25, 2022.

On May 15, 2018 the Supreme Court bench of Justices J Chelameswar and Sanjay Kishan Kaul had acquitted Sidhu from the charge of Culpable Homicide not amounting to murder (U/S304) in the 1998 road rage Case. The acquittal was granted in the appeal filed by Sidhu against a December 2006 Punjab and Haryana High Court verdict which had sentenced him to three years in jail in the road rage case.

But the Top Court found him guilty for S.323 IPC (voluntarily causing hurt) and sentenced him with a fine of Rs. 1000 only. His co-accused Rupinder Singh Sandhu was acquitted of all the charges.

Case Tile: Jaswinder Singh (Dead) through Legal Representative v. Navjot Singh Sidhu and Ors| RP (Crl) 477 of 2018

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