Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, lodged in Patiala central prison to serve a one-year jail term in a 1988 road rage death case, was taken to Rajindra Hospital in Patiala ahead of his court appearance tomorrow, reported Punjab Kesari.
Asserting that there are compelling circumstances for the examination of Sidhu in the Court, Chief Judicial Magistrate Sumit Makkar on Tuesday issued production warrants for his appearance on October 21.
Citing security issues, Sidhu had appealed thrice through video conferencing in the case. However, the court denied the plea this time. After this, Sindhu raised security concerns and the Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann reacted by saying that he will be provided security during his appearance in the court tomorrow.
The 58-year-old Congress leader suffers from medical conditions like embolism and has a liver ailment. In 2015, Sidhu also underwent treatment for acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) at a hospital in Delhi.DVT is caused by a blood clot in a deep vein which hinders normal blood flow.
The former Punjab Congress chief on May 20 was sent to Patiala central jail after he surrendered before a local court. He has been sentenced to one-year rigorous imprisonment by the Supreme Court in a 1988 road rage death case. The apex court had sentenced Sidhu in the 34-year-old case, saying 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. A 65-year-old man, named Gurnam Singh, had died in the incident.
(With inputs from agencies)
