LEGALEYE

  Navjot Singh Sidhu- given ‘Out’ by judicial DRS Amit Jaiswal*             On 19 th May, 2022 curtains finally came down to a 34 year court case when the Supreme Court sentenced a former Parliamentarian and a former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu to undergo one year rigorous imprisonment in a road rage matter.             On 27.12.1988 a dispute arose on the right of way between accused Navjot Singh Sidhu and Rupinder Singh Sandhu one side and Gurnam Singh (deceased) and Jaswinder Singh on the other side.   Allegations were that Sidhu and Rupinder S. Sandhu inflicted fist blows to the victim side and after receiving blows Gurnam Singh fell on the road and he was taken to Rajendra Hospital, Patiala in an unconscious state by Jaswinder Singh where the doctors announced him dead.    A Board of Doctors was constituted which gave its final opinion:- “Death in this case is attributed to the effects of head injury and cardiac condition.   However, the head injury in itself could be su

Short-sentencing the convicts - Legality and Legitimacy Amit Jaiswal*   It is spirit and not the form of law that keeps the justice alive - Earl Warren, Chief Justice of the United States (1953-69)               The eleven persons convicted of multiple murders and gang rape walked free out of Godhra sub-jail on 15 th day of August, 2022. These persons were convicted of heinous crimes of gang raping a pregnant woman, brutally killing her 3 year old daughter by smashing her head on the ground and 6 other persons on 3 rd March, 2002.   The story thereafter is of great struggle to bring the guilty persons to books.   Supreme Court ordered CBI investigation into the crime and the relentless struggle of the victim, with the help of human right groups and her lawyers, bore fruit when on 21 st January, 2008 CBI Special Court at Mumbai convicted 11 persons for gang rape, murder and unlawful assembly and sentenced them to life imprisonment.   The case continued its journey through