London, August 8
Mr Gurbux Singh has resigned as Chairman of Britain’s Commission of Racial Equality after shocking details about his drunken behaviour during the NatWest cricket final between India and England at the Lord’s came out in court.

Mr Gurbax Singh had been arrested after what was reported earlier as a drunken celebration after India won the match.

Following the details brought out by the prosecution at the Bow Street court in London, Mr Gurbux Singh was fined £ 500 and was also asked to pay £ 55 in costs towards the prosecution expenses. He pleaded guilty to the charges.

But he became controversial in resignation too after the Home Office agreed to pay him £ 115,000 under a package deal.

Newspapers today screamed in protest against the payment to Mr Gurbax Singh, who resigned yesterday.

As newspapers see it, Mr Gurbax Singh, who has a British passport, cheered the Indian team against England, helped by seven glasses of wine, then assaulted and threatened a British police officer and, when found guilty, was given a handsome reward by the Home Office.

There was little sympathy for Mr Gurbax Singh as the details of that day emerged.

The prosecution said he had had seven glasses of wine and got more and more excited as India headed for a win. As he was leaving the ground, he bumped into a police officer. His English wife Siobhan apologised to the officer, but Mr Gurbax Singh began to deliver a volley of four-letter words aimed at the officer.

According to the prosecution, Mr Gurbax Singh said: “What? Do you know who I am? I know Blair (London Police deputy chief Ian Blair). Do you know him?”

After that he got into a small scuffle with someone else and fell down. He got up and headed for the police officer with clenched fists. A second policeman grabbed him and put him in a hold, according to the prosecution.

Mr Gurbax Singh told that policeman: “You don’t know how much trouble you’re in.”

The police then forced Mr Gurbax Singh to lie face down on the ground while he was handcuffed. He protested by going limp.

He had then to be dragged to the police van. As he was being dragged, he again abused police officers. He then tried to headbutt an officer dragging him away. All this was captured on closed circuit cameras at the ground.

District Judge Nicholas Evans said while issuing an order against Mr Gurbax Singh: “This was disgraceful behaviour maintained for a relatively long period of time, quite out of character, and brought about by an excess of drink.”

In a statement after the ruling, Mr Gurbax Singh expressed “deep regret” over the incident. But that did nothing to calm the storm of protest over the payout to him that was just above a year’s salary.

Mr Gurbax Singh, 51, had two years left in the job he took up two years ago.

He said after the incident that day: “It was a tremendous day celebrated in every way possible.” He made no comment on the case, saying he was not certain whether the police would prosecute him.