By A Special Correspondent PATIALA (Punjab): He has perked up the top order Indian batting with his aggressive, devil-may-care stroke play. He had emerged with elan into the high adrenalin ‘modern cricket with sizeable and quick scores at the Reliance Cup cricket tournament and more recently with delectable batting and fielding against New Zealand. The 25yearold Navjot Singh Sidhu was all set 10 prove his calibre once again during the forthcoming tour of West Indies.

But on December 27, the country was shocked 10 hear his name in an entirely different context: Sidhu was wanted for culpable homicide in his home town Patiala, and was “absconding.” The incident occurred around noon on December 27, when Sidhu and a friend, ‘Bunny’ Rupinder Singh Sandhu, got into a scuffle with a 55 ‘year old transporter, Gurnam Singh. Accompanied by his nephews, Aviar Singh and Jaswinder Singh, and driving a white Maruti car, Gurnam Singh tried 10 overtake Sidhu’s red Maruti Gypsy at a crowded imperfection in Patiala’s Sheranwala Chowk.

According 10 eyewitnesses, a slanging maich broke out after Sidhu forced the Maruti io a halt. The scuffle allegedly soon devolved into a physical battle. No match ‘for the hardhiuing batsman and his friend. Gurnam Singh collapsed on the road. Sidhu and Bunny drove off without a backward glance after allegedly pocketing the keys of Gurnam Singh’s Maruti. “We should register a case under Section 302 (murder) in place of the present Section 304/34 (causing death due to negligence) because by taking away the keys, the accused stopped the injured person from getting timely medical aid,” said Bhupjeet Singh, son-in-law of the deceased and a law ‘graduate. Sidhu has flatly denied this charee.

Overnight, the ace batsman became a wanted man. Faced with the prospect of being thrown behind bars, Sidhu lost his self-confidence with which he so often tackled fiery bowlers. Though Sidhu stubbornly insists that he was in’ Chandigarh and Patiala “practicing freely for the forthcoming India West Indies series” informed sources maintain that he fled and remained underground for nearly a week after the incident. He surfaced with bodyguards at the Patiala court and as both he and Bunny promised 10 cooperate with investigators, the judge granted them anticipatory bail.

The ease with which the cricketer secured anticipatory bail has angered Gurn‘man Singh’s relatives. “The police and administration are siding with Sidhu just because he happens to be a big player,” charged Aviar Singh. The dead mian’s son, Devinder Singh, went to the extent of alleging that the police had deliberately delayed arresting Sidhu in order (0 give him sufficient time to secure bail. Sidhu’s father, the late Bhagwant Sidhu who wrote the book Sikhs on the crossroads was the advocate general of Punjab and was known to be close 10 the Congress I, Says Sidhu: “I have never killed a fly and I am not interested in fighting anyone.”

Though the case of death will only be known after the pathology report is complete, the autopsy has noted that Gurnam ‘Singh had minor abrasions on the left temple and knee caused by a blunt weapon. If it is proved that it is these injuries which caused death, Sidhu who is maintaining that Gurnam Singh injured himself as he fell on a bicycle after losing his balance during the scuffle will undoubtedly be in a tight spot. The preliminary part of the case is unlikely to be resolved before the pathology report is ready. By that time, however the Indian team for the West Indies tour would have been selected and Sidhu may find himself left out in the cold. Still, he is putting up a brave front “I am hopeful of geeing selected in the team as well as winning the case. I will utilize the opportunity of my bail for practicing cricket.” Says a national selector: “I don’t know whether this incident will affect his career. It depends on the ‘outcome of the pathology report.”

Sidhu seems to have a reputation for good behavior. Asserts M.P. Pandove, member, Board of Control for Cricket in India and secretary of the Punjab Cricket Association: “I have known Sherry(Sidhu) and his father since 1972, He is a classic example of a gentleman on and off the field.

Sidhu had presented wristwatches to the ground staff on the Patiala stadium, when he first got the call for the Indian team. Now as he awaits ‘another call from the selectors he is all too aware that it will not be his batting from that will matter.

Article extracted from this publication >>  February 10, 1989