Sidhu's conviction stayed

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the conviction of cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu is a road rage death case paving the way for him to contest the by-poll for Amritsar Lok Sabha seat.

"The order of conviction dated December 1, 2001 is suspended," a bench comprising Justice GP Mathur and Justice RV Raveendran said. Sidhu's petition seeking stay of the Punjab and Haryana High Court verdict, convicting and sentencing him to three-year imprisonment, is a case of culpabale homicide not amounting to murder.

The Bench further said that the conviction of Sidhu will not be operative till the disposal of his appeal against the High Court judgement.

The former international cricketer was convicted for death of 65-year-old Gurnam Singh in 1988 at Patiala.

The trial court had acquitted him in the case in which Sidhu's friend Rupinder Singh Sandhu was a co-accused.

The Apex court has already admitted the appeal filed by them as well as the petition filed by victim's relatives Jaswinder Singh seeking enhancement of sentence for the accused persons as well as for including the offence of murder under section 302 of the IPC against them.

The last date for filing nomination for the Amritsar bypoll is January 25.