The Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to carry out a comprehensive probe into the accident involving vehicles trailing the convoy of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, during his visit to Sultanpur district, officials said. The SIT was formed on the directions of the Director General of Police (DGP), Uttar Pradesh, taking into account the seriousness and sensitivity of the incident, ANI reported.

Source: ANI, via Latestly

According to an official release issued by the UP Police Headquarters, the SIT will be headed by Inspector General of Police (IGP), Lucknow Range, Kiran S. The panel includes Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Sultanpur, Brij Narayan Singh, and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Traffic, Sultanpur, Ram Krishna Chaturvedi, as members, ANI reported.

Source: UP Police Headquarters release, via ANI / Devdiscourse

3Members on the SIT formed by the UP DGP
10:15 amApproximate time of the convoy collision on Monday, per police via PTI
0Major injuries reported in the collision, per police via PTI

The probe team has been tasked with investigating the exact causes and circumstances of the accident, examining whether there were any lapses or negligence in security, escort or traffic arrangements, and formulating recommendations to prevent a recurrence. The SIT has been directed to submit a detailed report to the state police headquarters at the earliest, ANI reported.

Earlier on Monday, some vehicles in Gandhi's convoy collided on the Purvanchal Expressway while he was on his way to Sultanpur for a court hearing in a defamation case. The Leader of Opposition was safe and no major injuries were reported, a police officer told PTI, adding that the incident occurred around 10.15 am when a private vehicle at the front of the convoy suddenly applied the brakes, causing vehicles behind it to collide with one another, and that the convoy soon resumed its journey.

Source: PTI, via The Sen Times

Later on Monday, the Special MP/MLA court in Sultanpur dismissed the 2018 defamation case against Rahul Gandhi, which stemmed from remarks he was alleged to have made against Amit Shah in Bengaluru in 2018, ANI reported.

Source: ANI, via Latestly