Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was safe after several vehicles travelling behind his convoy collided on the Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh on Monday, October 26. The accident occurred near Haliyapur in Sultanpur district as he travelled from Lucknow to appear before a special MP-MLA court in a criminal defamation case. His vehicle was not involved in the collision, and the convoy continued towards Sultanpur after a brief halt.
The collision reportedly involved five vehicles, including an ambulance, although early accounts differed over the precise sequence of events and the number of people affected. Police said the incident was not serious and that no major injuries had been reported. Other reports said some Congress workers and security personnel were injured, but a confirmed number was not immediately available.
The accident took place at around 10.15 am, according to a police officer quoted by news agency PTI. Preliminary information suggested that a private vehicle belonging to local Congress leaders suddenly applied its brakes for an unspecified reason. Vehicles travelling behind it then collided with one another.
Police said some of the vehicles had joined the convoy midway through its journey from Lucknow. Passengers included Congress workers from neighbouring Amethi district. The collision occurred near the 89.5-kilometre mark of the expressway, under the jurisdiction of Haliyapur police station.
A Congress spokesperson said Gandhi was safe and that his car had not been involved in the impact. The vehicles stopped briefly before resuming their journey. Police personnel were accompanying the Congress leader for security during the road trip.
The exact circumstances surrounding the ambulance’s involvement and the extent of damage to the vehicles were not immediately established. Preliminary accounts pointed to sudden braking as a possible trigger, but the sequence of events would need to be verified before responsibility could be determined.
Rahul Gandhi reaches Sultanpur court
Gandhi had arrived at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow earlier in the morning. Congress workers and local party leaders gathered at the airport to welcome him before he began his journey to Sultanpur.
His visit was connected to a criminal defamation case filed in 2018 over alleged remarks about Amit Shah, who was then the BJP’s national president. The complaint was filed by Vijay Mishra, a local BJP leader and former chairman of the Sultanpur District Cooperative Bank, following comments Gandhi allegedly made at a rally in Bengaluru ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections.
The complainant argued that the remarks were defamatory. Gandhi appeared before the court in 2023 and secured bail. The proceedings continued as the court considered the complaint and related legal arguments.
On October 26, the special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur dismissed the defamation case against Gandhi, according to reports published that day. The ruling provided relief to the Congress leader in a matter that had remained pending for more than eight years. Details of the court’s reasoning were not immediately available in the initial reports.
The court development was significant because Gandhi had travelled to Sultanpur to attend the scheduled proceedings. Despite the collision involving vehicles behind his car, he continued his journey and reached the court.
Road safety concerns after convoy collision
The accident has also drawn attention to the risks associated with vehicles travelling closely together on expressways. When drivers maintain insufficient distance, a sudden braking manoeuvre can leave following vehicles with little time to respond, potentially causing multiple vehicles to collide.
Expressways are designed to support faster travel, making safe driving distances, controlled speeds and awareness of surrounding traffic particularly important. These precautions are relevant not only for official convoys but also for ordinary motorists travelling in groups.
In this incident, police indicated that sudden braking preceded the collision. However, the available early information did not establish whether speed, following distance, driver reaction or other factors contributed to the impact. Any definitive conclusion would require a complete assessment of the circumstances.
The reports also contained differing accounts of injuries. While police said no major injuries had been reported, some media accounts said Congress workers and security personnel were hurt. The final number of injured people and their medical condition remained unclear in the initial updates.
The collision briefly interrupted his journey but did not prevent him from attending the scheduled court proceedings.
