Rahul Gandhi's convoy collides on Purvanchal Expressway

Some vehicles in Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's convoy collided on the Purvanchal Expressway on Monday while he was on his way to Sultanpur for a court hearing in a defamation case against him, a police officer told PTI.

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha was safe, the officer said, adding the incident was not serious and no major injuries were reported.

The incident occurred around 10.15 am when a private vehicle at the front of the convoy, belonging to local Congress leaders, suddenly applied the brakes for an unspecified reason, causing vehicles behind it to collide with one another, the officer said.


The officer said the convoy soon resumed its journey towards Sultanpur.

The convoy, accompanied by police personnel for security, was expected to reach the Sultanpur court around 11.15 am for the hearing in the defamation case against Gandhi, the officer said.

Security arrangements have been strengthened in Sultanpur, particularly around the court complex, in view of the proceedings.

The case relates to alleged objectionable remarks made by Gandhi against then BJP president Amit Shah at a rally in Bengaluru ahead of the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections.

Local BJP politician Vijay Mishra, a former chairman of the District Cooperative Bank in Sultanpur, filed the defamation complaint against Gandhi on August 4, 2018.

Gandhi appeared before the court in 2023 and secured bail. The court had earlier fixed October 13 for pronouncing its verdict, which was subsequently scheduled for October 26.