NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s convoy was involved in a collision involving five vehicles and an ambulance on the Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh on Monday (Oct 26). Several people were reportedly injured in the accident near the 91-km milestone in Haliyapur, around 100km from Lucknow.
According to the reports, CCTV footage from the spot showed the ambulance in the rightmost lane, with several vehicles close together in the other lanes. A Scorpio SUV with a damaged bonnet appeared to have stopped in front of the ambulance following the collision.
The injured reportedly include Congress workers, party office-bearers and security personnel. The exact number of injured people and the cause of the accident were not immediately known. Further details are awaited.
Rahul Gandhi was travelling to Sultanpur Court
Gandhi arrived at Lucknow Airport and was travelling by road to Sultanpur, around 135 km away, to attend proceedings at the special MP/MLA court. The accident occurred when his convoy was approximately 35 km from its destination.
The court was scheduled to pronounce its verdict in a defamation case filed against Gandhi over his alleged remarks about Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Hundreds of Congress workers and local party leaders had gathered at the airport to welcome him before his journey to Sultanpur.
According to Sultanpur Superintendent of Police Vineet Jaiswal, Gandhi was expected to reach the district at around 10am as per his scheduled itinerary.
Security tightened around court
Police had strengthened security arrangements in Sultanpur, particularly around the court complex, ahead of the proceedings. Adequate personnel were deployed to maintain law and order during the hearing and ensure security in and around the premises.
BJP leader Vijay Mishra, a former chairman of the Sultanpur District Cooperative Bank, filed the defamation complaint against Gandhi on Aug 4, 2018. The case relates to alleged objectionable remarks Gandhi made about then BJP president Amit Shah during a campaign rally in Bengaluru ahead of the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections.
The case has been heard by the special MP/MLA court in Sultanpur, which was scheduled to deliver its verdict on Monday.
Complainant says he hopes for justice
Speaking about the case, complainant Vijay Mishra expressed confidence in the court’s decision.
“We are hopeful that we will receive justice, given the way they behaved toward our BJP’s national president at that time (Amit Shah). This legal case has been ongoing since 2018, spanning all the way to 2026. Today is the date for the verdict, and given how the case has been contested by our legal counsel, we are optimistic that the judgment will be in our favour,” Mishra said. - The Statesman/ANN
