Rahul Gandhi's Convoy Meets with Highway Crash in Sultanpur

Four vehicles and an ambulance in Rahul Gandhi's convoy collided on the Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh on October 26, 2026. The crash took place near the 91-kilometer milestone in the Sultanpur district under the Haliapur police station area. Several security personnel and Congress party members sustained injuries in the accident. Mr. Gandhi's vehicle was positioned ahead of the crash site, and the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition remains safe.

Court Visit

The convoy was traveling as Mr. Gandhi arrived in Lucknow that morning to appear before a special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur. The court was scheduled to deliver its verdict on Monday in an ongoing defamation case against him. A local Bharatiya Janata Party leader filed the complaint in August 2018, alleging that Mr. Gandhi made objectionable remarks about Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the 2018 Karnataka Assembly polls. Mr. Shah served as the party president at that time.

Case History

The legal proceedings have stretched over several years in front of Special Judge Shubham Verma. Mr. Gandhi previously appeared in court in 2023 to secure bail and returned on July 26, 2024, to record his statement. He has maintained that the case was filed for cheap publicity and stated he never made defamatory remarks. The court originally set the verdict for October 13 before rescheduling it to October 26.

Context

High-profile political movements in India frequently involve large vehicle convoys moving between cities for court appearances and political rallies. Expressway transit often brings traffic management challenges when multiple security and party vehicles travel together at high speeds. Defamation lawsuits involving senior political figures often take years to reach trial conclusions in specialized MP-MLA courts across the country.