New Delhi, Feb 25 : The Supreme Court on Friday asked Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, to file reply as to why punishment should not be given to him for the offence of murder, instead of causing hurt, for which he was convicted and the review petition filed against the verdict. A Special Bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justices AM Khanwilkar and Sanjay Kishan Kaul, listed the matter after two weeks for further hearing. Appearing for the petitioner, Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra submitted to the Apex Court to enlarge the scope of notice, since it was limited on the aspect of quantum of sentence. Petitioner Sidhu has filed a fresh application before the Supreme Court, pleading that the notice may not be limited to the quantum of sentence, but the review petition be heard to correct the errors on face of the record and lay down the correct principle of law. On December 27, 1988, Sidhu had allegedly beaten 65-year-old Gurnam Singh on his head, leading to his death in connection with a road rage case. Earlier in response to the review petition, Sidhu had urged the Supreme Court not to punish him any further in the 33-year-old case and said that the review petition in the case against him had no merit and ought to be dismissed. The family of the 1988 road rage case victim had filed a review petition before the Supreme Court, seeking modification of its earlier order, in which the Punjab MLA was acquitted. MLA Sidhu was acquitted in connection with the culpable homicide charges, but was convicted of the offence of voluntarily causing hurt, in an order given earlier by apex court. The Apex Court had merely slapped a fine of Rs 1,000 on Sidhu. The Court had also acquitted Sidhu’s associate, Rupinder Singh Sandhu, in the case. The Sessions Court of Patiala had on September 22, 1999, acquitted Sidhu and his associate, due to lack of evidence in the case and gave him the benefit of doubt. It was then challenged by the victim’s families before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had in 2006, convicted and sentenced Sidhu to three years imprisonment. Sidhu filed an appeal before the apex court, challenging this order. SM RJ
