UP Police constitute 3-member SIT to probe Rahul Gandhis convoy accident, security lapses on Purvanchal Expressway

PTC News Desk: The Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the accident involving vehicles travelling behind Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s convoy during his visit to Sultanpur.

The SIT will investigate how the accident happened and whether there was any negligence or failure related to security, escort arrangements or traffic management. The team has been asked to examine all aspects of the incident and submit a detailed report to the police headquarters as soon as possible.

The SIT will be headed by Lucknow Range Inspector General of Police Kiran S. Additional Superintendent of Police, Sultanpur, Brij Narayan Singh, and Deputy Superintendent of Police (Traffic), Sultanpur, Ram Krishna Chaturvedi, will also be part of the investigation team.

Officials said the SIT was formed on the directions of Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Rajeev Krishna. Apart from investigating the accident, the team will also suggest measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. The accident took place on the Purvanchal Expressway at around 10:15 am on Monday when Gandhi was travelling to Sultanpur to attend a court hearing in a defamation case.

Vehicles travelling in Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s convoy collided on the Purvanchal Expressway in Sultanpur district of Uttar Pradesh on Monday. According to initial reports, Gandhi’s car was not involved in the accident and remained safe.

According to police, a private vehicle belonging to local Congress leaders and travelling at the front of the convoy suddenly applied the brakes for an unknown reason. This caused several vehicles travelling behind it to collide with one another.

Police said some of the vehicles involved in the pile-up had joined the convoy midway and were carrying Congress workers, including people from neighbouring Amethi district.

Rahul Gandhi was safe and his vehicle was not involved in the collision. Police said the incident was not serious and no major injuries were reported.

Gandhi acquitted in Amit Shah defamation case

A special MP/MLA court in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, cleared Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday in a 2018 criminal defamation case. The case was linked to his comments about Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The court said there was not enough evidence to hold him guilty. Rahul Gandhi was present in court when the judgment was read out. Congress supporters gathered outside and welcomed the decision.

BJP leader Vijay Mishra, who lives in Hanumanganj in Sultanpur and once headed the Sultanpur District Cooperative Bank, filed the complaint on August 4, 2018. It was based on a speech Rahul Gandhi gave at an election rally in Bengaluru before the 2018 Karnataka Assembly polls. Amit Shah was the BJP president at the time.