The Supreme Court had earlier said any sympathy in imposing an inadequate sentence would do more harm to the justice system. If released, Sidhu will be serving almost two months short of his full sentence.
Congress leader Navojt Singh Sidhu, jailed in connection to a road rage case, is expected to walk free on Saturday after serving 10 months in prison, his family and lawyer have said. A tweet from the former cricketer's official Twitter handle on Friday stated that “concerned authorities” have confirmed his release.
“This is to inform everyone that Sardar Navjot Singh Sidhu will be released from Patiala Jail tomorrow,” read the tweet.
There is, however, no official confirmation about the former MLA's release. When contacted Patiala Central Jail Superintendent MS Tiwana said, "When the orders for his release are out, we shall inform."
Several Congress leaders and Navjot Sidhu's supporters are making preparations for giving him a grand welcome. But there is no clarity on what role the Congress will give the cricketer-turned-politician once he is out of jail.
If released, the event is bound to stir the Punjab unit of the Congress which was trounced by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the February 2022 state elections
Earlier on Friday, his wife, Navjot Kaur Sidhu, who has been battling cancer, posted an emotional message on Twitter saying she had asked for death in a fit of anger but God left her somewhere in the middle.
“Each person’s destiny and journey is different. We have no right to question it. The only person who needs correction is our own self,” she wrote.
On 20 May 2022, Sidhu was sentenced to one-year rigorous imprisonment by the Supreme Court in the 1988 road rage case. A 65-year-old man, named Gurnam Singh, had died in the incident.
The top court had in its order said any sympathy in imposing an inadequate sentence would do more harm to the justice system and undermine the public confidence in the efficacy of law.
His counsel HPS Varma said as per the Punjab Prison rules, a convict with good behaviour is entitled to general remission. "He is most likely to be released on Saturday from the Patiala jail," he noted.