Several Injured as Vehicles in Rahul Gandhi’s Convoy Collide on UP Expressway

The accident reportedly occurred near the 91-km milestone in the Haliyapur area. Party workers, officials and security personnel were among those injured. Further details about the number of casualties and the severity of their injuries were awaited.

Gandhi was visiting Uttar Pradesh on Monday and was scheduled to appear before a special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur in connection with a defamation case over alleged objectionable remarks about Amit Shah, who was the BJP president at the time and is now the Union Home Minister.

Court Verdict Scheduled in Defamation Case

The court was scheduled to pronounce its verdict in the case on Monday. According to the complainant’s counsel, Santosh Kumar Pandey, Gandhi was required to appear in person for the judgment.

Additional Civil Judge Shubham Verma had earlier fixed October 13 for the verdict.

Sultanpur Superintendent of Police Vineet Jaiswal had said Gandhi was expected to travel by road from Lucknow and reach Sultanpur at around 10 a.m., in line with his itinerary.

Police had made security arrangements around the court premises, with personnel deployed to maintain law and order during the proceedings.

Case Dates Back to 2018

The defamation complaint was filed on August 4, 2018, by BJP leader Vijay Mishra, a former chairman of the Sultanpur District Cooperative Bank.

Mishra accused Gandhi of making objectionable remarks about Amit Shah during a campaign rally in Bengaluru ahead of the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections.

The case has since been heard by the special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur.

Further information about the expressway collision, including the precise circumstances leading to the crash and the condition of those injured, was awaited.