PATIALA: Authorities of Patiala Central Jail have decided to assign clerical work to former Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu inside his barrack. They have decided to not move Sidhu outside his barrack for any works that are supposed to be performed by prisoners undergoing rigorous imprisonment (RI) in the jail.
This decision has been taken by the jail authorities after considering Sidhu's security. An official in the jail department, wishing not to be named, revealed that Sidhu being a high-profile prisoner will be given work inside his barrack No. 10 only. In the same jail, SAD (B) politician Bikram Singh Majithia has been lodged in barrack No. 11.
"Besides other criminals, there are a number of drug addicts and smugglers lodged in the jail against whom Sidhu has been vocal for a quite long time. There can be threat to his security if he is moved out to carry out any work done by prisoners undergoing RI... Sidhu may be given clerical tasks like briefing lengthy judgements or compiling other records. However, no records of the jail will be shared with him," said the jail official.
The cricketer-turned-politician was sentenced to one-year RI by the Supreme Court on May 19 in the 1988 road-rage case. On May 20, he surrendered before the trial court in Patiala and was sent to the Central Jail.
