Police said a car believed to be part of BJP Lok Sabha candidate Karan Bhushan Singh’s convoy reportedly hit two individuals and harmed another person in Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh, causing a political dispute.
Karan, the son of ex-Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) head and Kaiserganj MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, was accused of sexual harassment by the country’s top wrestlers last year. Karan, who is thirty years old, was chosen by the BJP to run for his father’s seat, which was up for election in the fifth phase on May 20.
Later in the day, Luv Kush Srivastava, the driver of a Toyota Fortuner, was taken into custody for reckless driving and other offenses.
The police reported that two cousins, “Rehan (17) and Shehzad (24), were riding a motorcycle when they were struck by a vehicle near Baikunth Degree College on Katra Bazar road at around 9am. Both Rehan and Shehzad were struck by the car and passed away immediately. The car also veered out of control and then struck a 60-year-old woman who was walking on the side of the road. Sita Devi, the woman in question, has been hospitalized and is currently receiving medical care,” stated Nirbhay Narayan Singh, the SHO at Karnal Ganj.”
The family of the deceased was informed by locals that the car was among the four to five vehicles in Karan Bhushan Singh’s convoy, with the BJP leader reportedly in one of them during the accident. They also mentioned that the car which struck and killed the person was the final one in the procession.
Rehan and Shehzad were heading to Katra Bazar when a vehicle hit them about 5km away from their village Nidhura. Once I arrived at the location, nearby residents informed me that the vehicle belonged to Karan Singh’s convoy. Farman Khan stated that the procession included four to five vehicles with the politician and his supporters aboard during the incident, as per their account. Local people also mentioned that the car which hit the elderly woman and caused her death collided with an electric pole afterward. He said that once the airbags were deployed, the people in the car switched to a different vehicle in the convoy, which then continued on to Huzurpur.
Despite not receiving official confirmation from the police regarding whether the vehicle was part of Karan Singh’s convoy or if the BJP leader was inside during the accident, an unnamed officer stated that there were four vehicles in Singh’s convoy and he was in the first vehicle.
The officer added that the car that collided with the motorcycle was located at the tail end of the procession. The officer noticed that the convoy’s vehicles were traveling at over 100 kmph. who inspected the accident spot, said.
Protest Erupt
The locals and the victims’ family members were furious about the incident, leading them to block the road. PTI reported that they requested the apprehension of those responsible for the accident. Senior police officials calmed the demonstrators and guaranteed them prompt action on the issue.
