Sidhu skips jail dinner first night, only takes medicine: Official

Former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu who surrendered before a Patiala court on Friday in connection with the 1988 road rage case will earn between ₹40 to ₹60 every day during his one-year imprisonment sentenced by the Supreme Court.

It is the same jail where Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia is also lodged in connection with a drug case. Their barracks are, however, different.

A prison official told Hindustan Times Sidhu skipped his dinner on Friday saying that he already had his food. But he took some medicine. “He is in high spirits and cooperating. There is no special meal for him. If a doctor advises any special meal, he can buy it from the jail canteen or cook himself,” the official said.

As Sidhu has been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment, he will have to work as per the jail manual. For the first three months, however, he will be trained. According to the jail manual, an unskilled inmate gets ₹40 per day and a skilled ₹60 per day.

On Friday, Sidhu sought some time from the Supreme Court before he surrendered as he said he wanted to organise his medical affairs. After 4pm, Sidhu surrendered before the court of chief judicial magistrate Amit Malhan who signed the conviction warrant and ordered him to be sent to jail. He was taken to Mata Kaushalya Hospital for the mandatory medical examination, after which he was sent to his assigned barrack.

As reported by news agency PTI, citing Sidhu’s media advisor Surinder Dalla, Sidhu suffers from medical conditions like embolism and has a liver ailment.

In 2015, Sidhu underwent acute deep vein thrombosis treatment at a Delhi hospital. Because of the deep vein thrombosis condition, Sidhu has to wear big plastic bands on his legs so that there is no clot formation, Dalla said adding that Sidhu needs to take many medicines because of his health complications daily. Sidhu has also been advised to avoid a diet containing wheat flour, his media advisor said.

The road rage case goes back to 1988, when Sidhu allegedly beat Gurnam Singh with his hand leading to his death. In 1999, Sidhu and Rupinder Singh Sandhu who was there with Sidhu were acquitted due to a lack of evidence. It was then challenged by the victim’s families before the Punjab and Haryana high court which in 2006 had convicted Sidhu and sentenced him to three years imprisonment.

Sidhu challenged the order in the Supreme Court which in 2018 held him guilty of the offence of ‘voluntarily causing hurt’ but let him go with a fine of ₹1,000. Gurnam Singh’s family sought a review of the judgment and the Supreme Court on Thursday sentenced Sidhu to one-year rigorous imprisonment. The apex court said any undue sympathy in imposing an inadequate sentence would do more harm to the justice system and undermine the public confidence in the efficacy of law.