1988 road rage case: Had to maintain earlier stand in SC, says Punjab CM

Breaking his silence in the road rage case, wherein his cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu is the prime accused, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday said the government could not have taken any other stand in the Supreme Court.

"Though government couldn't have taken any other stand in the apex court other than what it had been taken in the trial and high court earlier, Sidhu deserves court's consideration," Amarinder said.

On Thursday, the Punjab government told Supreme Court that the statement given by Sidhu denying his involvement in the case was false.

After the Punjab government sought his conviction in the road rage case, Sidhu on Friday said he would submit to the majesty of the law.

The road rage incident dates back to December 27, 1988, when Sidhu had allegedly punched one 65-year-old Gurnam Singh in Patiala, Punjab, resulting in the latter's death.

The trial court had acquitted Sidhu, whereas the Punjab and Haryana High Court reversed his acquittal, convicting him under Section 304 Part II, Indian Penal Code (IPC), for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The victim's family had appealed to the Supreme Court that earlier imprisonment sentence of three years given by the Punjab and Haryana High Court should be enhanced.

However, the Punjab government appealed to the apex court to uphold three-year imprisonment.