His file gathering dust in CM’s office for a month, Navjot Singh Sidhu may not walk free on Jan 26

The jail department had put up his case before the Chief Minister’s Office a month ago, with multiple sources in suggesting that the prison authorities have submitted a positive feedback on the cricketer-turned-politician’s behaviour. However, with the CM not yet clearing the file, the jail department cannot put it up before Cabinet.

As per rules, the Cabinet has to give a green signal to the proposal of special remission for good conduct for any convict. After getting it cleared from the Cabinet, the government has to send the file to the Governor. A convict is released prematurely with a special remission only after approval from the government.

Sources said that ahead of remission to convicts on Independence Day, the Governor had asked the government to send details of each convict in separate files after getting it approved from the Cabinet. Earlier the government used to send a list of all convicts eligible for remission in a collective list.

Sources said that it was discussed at the highest level in the government that agitation against non-release of ‘bandi Sikhs’ is continuing in the state. The Opposition, especially Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), is harping on the issue. The government does want to make it another issue that convicts like Sidhu are released prematurely and Sikh prisoners continue to be behind bars.

Meanwhile, it is unlikely that Sidhu’s file would be cleared anytime soon. The next Cabinet meeting is scheduled on February 3 while the CM is travelling and is currently in Maharashtra to woo investors. In the next coming days, he would be in Bhopal for a private function. He will be in Amritsar and Bathinda also.

Interestingly, anticipating that he may be released on Republic Day, the Congress high command invited Sidhu to participate in an event to mark the conclusion of Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra on January 30 in Jammu & Kashmir. Sidhu’s wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu had earlier participated in the Punjab leg of the Yatra,

Not only Sidhu, the government is not putting up case of remission of any convict on Republic Day this time.

As per the Punjab Jail Manual, every prisoner is entitled to a relief of four days for every month spent in jail. Till January, Sidhu has accumulated 32 days of remission. Another provision allows the Jail Superintendent to remit 30 days from a convict’s sentence. The DGP (Jails) and ADGP (Jails) can grant another remission of additional 60 days but that requires a political consent.

The speculation about Sidhu’s possible release on January 26, when traditionally governments award remission to prisoners who exhibit good behaviour, had gained credence after his media adviser Surinder Dalla in November end said that “Mission 2024 will starts as soon as Sidhu ji returns from jail”.

An aide of Sidhu, however, said that they were preparing for his release on January 26 as they had learnt from their sources that the state government had nothing to do with the release of convicts under Centre’s scheme. “The state government or Cabinet do not figure in the process. It is the Centre that had asked the states for the names of convicts who are eligible for remission as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. Sidhu sahib is eligible and he will walk free on January 26. We are going to put up hoardings welcoming him across the state on Tuesday,” the aide said.