Berliner Boersenzeitung - Police form SIT after vehicles in Rahul Gandhi convoy collide on expressway

The Uttar Pradesh Police has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the collision involving vehicles accompanying Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s convoy on the Purvanchal Expressway on Monday, as he travelled to Sultanpur to appear in a defamation case.

It will investigate the sequence of events leading to the collision, examine possible lapses in security arrangements and traffic coordination, and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents.

The SIT was formed at the direction of Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Rajeev Krishna.

Inspector General of Police, Lucknow Range, Kiran S, will head the team. Additional Superintendent of Police, Sultanpur, Brij Narayan Singh, and Deputy Superintendent of Police (Traffic), Sultanpur, Ram Krishna Chaturvedi, are its other members, News18 reported.

According to an official statement, the team will examine all aspects of the incident and submit a detailed report to the Police Headquarters at the earliest. The inquiry will focus on the movement of vehicles accompanying the convoy, escort arrangements and coordination of traffic along the route.

What led to Rahul Gandhi convoy accident?

The collision occurred around 10.15 AM on Monday as Gandhi was travelling to Sultanpur for a court hearing in a defamation case.

According to a police officer quoted by news agency PTI, a private vehicle at the front of the convoy, belonging to local Congress leaders, suddenly applied the brakes for an unspecified reason. Vehicles travelling behind it then collided with one another, resulting in a pile-up.

Police said the vehicles involved had joined the convoy midway. They were carrying passengers, including Congress workers from neighbouring Amethi district.

The precise circumstances that led the first vehicle to brake suddenly, and whether traffic management or convoy coordination contributed to the collision, are among the issues the SIT is projected to examine.

Was Rahul Gandhi injured in the accident?

Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was safe after the incident, according to a police officer quoted by PTI. The officer described the accident as minor and said no major injuries had been reported.

Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi also confirmed to PTI that Gandhi was safe and that his vehicle was not involved in the collision.

“Rahul ji is completely safe. It was a minor brush as his motorcade moved along the expressway,” Awasthi said.

The convoy continued towards Sultanpur after the incident and reached the court at around 11.15 AM, accompanied by police personnel.

Gandhi was travelling to Sultanpur to attend a hearing in a defamation case linked to remarks he allegedly made about Amit Shah, who was then the BJP president, during a rally in Bengaluru ahead of the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections.

His appearance in court was part of the ongoing proceedings in the case.

(A.Berg--BBZ)