Homicide: after UPA’s Soren, it’s turn of NDA’s Sidhu

Sources said that BJP president Rajnath Singh called up Sidhu soon after the Punjab and Haryana High Court convicted him in a 1988 case and told him to resign. The court found Sidhu and his friend Rupinder Singh Sandhu guilty of causing the death of a Patiala resident Gurnam Singh, following a fight over parking. It, however, decided to pronounce the quantum of punishment on December 6 after Sidhu’s counsel pleaded for more time to argue on it.

Putting up a brave face in the midst of an embarrassing situation, the BJP maintained that it had permitted Sidhu to step down on “moral” grounds without going in to technicalities of the case or even his right to appeal. Accompanied by Sidhu, BJP parliamentary party spokesperson Sushma Swaraj maintained that the whole incident was “unfortunate, which turned into a tragedy”. “He is in front of you like a lion,” she said. “Sidhu was, is and remains a respectable member of the BJP – he will be a party campaigner too in Punjab polls,” she added.

Drawing a parallel between the Soren and Sidhu cases, she said the former was guilty of a conspiracy to commit murder under section 302, while there was an absence of intent to kill in the latter. Sidhu, she claimed could get 10 years’ imprisonment, fine or both and Soren could get even a death sentence.

Earlier, Sidhu told reporters at his residence that for him, “principles are above any office or power that I hold.” When asked about his future course, Sidhu said it was all in the realm of “speculation.” “Don’t talk of ifs and buts,” he said, adding that “it is like if my aunt had moustaches, she would be my uncle.”

The Sessions Court at Patiala had on September 22, 1999 acquitted Sidhu and his friend of the charges, giving them the benefit of doubt. But Singh’s family challenged the acquittal in the High Court.

On December 27, 1988, Sidhu and his friend and co-accused Rupinder Sandhu had an altercation with Gurnam Singh, who was with his relative Jaswinder Singh (the appellant in the case) over parking in front of State Bank of Patiala. Sidhu and Sandhu allegedly showered punches on Gurnam Singh after hauling him out of the car. Jaswinder was also beaten up. The duo later fled from the scene with the keys of Gurnam’s car. An injured Jaswinder took Gurnam Singh to Rajindra Hospital at Patiala where he was declared dead on arrival.

In his defence, Sidhu had stated that Gurnam Singh was a heart patient and his main arteries were blocked. He stated that Singh had died of cardiac arrest and not due to head injuries caused by the blows. Sidhu had also said that he was merely standing in the midst of a huge crowd and that he was accused falsely since he was a famous person.