10 biggest controversies in Indian cricket history

3. Murder charges on Navjot Singh Sidhu

Former India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu was charged with a murder case in 1988. To note, Sidhu and his friend Rupinder Singh Sandhu had allegedly beaten a 65-year-old named Gurnam Singh in Patiala, who was asking them to remove their vehicle parked in the middle of the road.

Following the beating, an injured Gurnam was rushed to the hospital where he was declared dead, leading to a murder case against Sidhu and his friend. The local district and session court acquitted Sidhu and his friend due to lack of evidence, but the decision was overturned by the high court and Sidhu went to jail before being released on bail in the same year (2007).

The victim’s family then approached the Supreme Court and filed a review petition. Sidhu opposed the plea seeking there was no evidence that the death of the victim was caused by a single blow. Sidhu had called the incident “an accident, nothing else”.