PATIALA: The police has excluded star cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu from the homicide charges leveled against him in December last year.

Presenting the challan in the case before the Haga (area) Magistrate, N.D. Bhatrar here today the police chargesheeted only Rupinder Singh Sandhu under Section 304, It was submitted by the police that Nayjot Singh had been found to be innocent during the investigations in this case.

An FIR was registered here against the wee Indian cricketer and his friend Rupinder Sandhu on December 27 last year in the city kotwali under Section 304/34 of the Indian Penal Code following the death of a landlord Gumam Singh Ghalauri in a scuffle on the Mall,

Both Nayjot and Rupinder were granted anticipatory by in January this year by the District and Sessions Judge.

‘The much publicized case had caused a crisis in Navjot’s career. His tour to the West Indies as a member of the Indian team in March this year had at one stage looked in jeopardy following the criminal case, Nayjot had to seek special permission of the court for leaving the country. Relatives of the landlord had unsuccessfully challenged the permission granted to Navjot, firstly in the Punjab and Haryana High Court and later in the Supreme Court,

Rupinder Sandhu presented himself in the court today and submitted a fresh bail bond. The next date has been fixed for August 7.

Navjot Sidhu had pleaded innocence ever since the registration of the case.

Article extracted from this publication >>  July 28, 1989