Six months in jail, Navjot Singh Sidhu has ‘lost 34 kg’ — thanks to ‘yoga, meditation, and strict diet’

“When Sidhu sahib will come out after completing his sentence, you will be surprised to see him. He looks exactly like he used to look during his heyday as a cricketer. He has shed 34 kilos and he will be shedding more. He now weighs 99 kg. But as he is 6 feet 2 inches tall, he looks handsome at his current weight. He looks calm as he spends so much time meditating,” said Cheema, who met Sidhu in Patiala jail for 45 minutes on Friday.

The former MLA went on to say, “He is feeling really good. He told me his liver, which was a cause of concern earlier, is much better now.”

Sidhu suffers from non-alcoholic fatty liver and embolism. He was advised special diet, including coconut water, chamomile tea, almond milk and rosemary tea, by the doctors. He is off sugar and wheat and eats only two times a day. He does not eat anything after 6 pm. He was appointed as “Munshi” to do clerical work. He is learnt to be spending a few hours during the day performing his duties as a clerk. “The jail authorities send him some paperwork. He does it every day. He does it from his barrack only,” said Cheema.

According to the jail manual, prisoners are categorised as unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled. Unskilled and semi-skilled prisoners get Rs 40 and Rs 50 per day, respectively. Skilled prisoners get Rs 60 per day. Till September, Sidhu had Punjabi singer Daler Mehndi for company, who was also lodged in barrack No 10. He was later released.

“Now, Sidhu also spends time interacting with other inmates. A few come to him to meet him as he is a celebrity,” Cheema said.