SULTANPUR, India — Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, escaped unhurt on Monday morning, October 26, 2026, after multiple escort vehicles in his motorcade collided on the Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh.
The accident occurred near the 91-kilometer milestone within the limits of Haliyapur police station, roughly 35 kilometers from Sultanpur, resulting in minor injuries to several Congress party workers, office-bearers, and security personnel.
Rahul Gandhi had arrived at Lucknow Airport earlier in the morning and was traveling by road to Sultanpur to appear before a special MP-MLA court.
According to preliminary reports, the convoy was moving along the expressway when a lead vehicle applied sudden brakes. The vehicles immediately following it reportedly lost control in a chain reaction, leading to a pile-up. The crash involved five vehicles and an accompanying ambulance, with a Mahindra Scorpio SUV sustaining significant front-end damage.
Brief panic ensued on the highway, but emergency teams and security detail immediately secured the area.
Medical responders provided immediate first aid to the injured personnel on the scene. Officials confirmed that Rahul Gandhi was completely unhurt during the incident.
Following the brief disruption, the convoy resumed its journey to Sultanpur, where Gandhi was scheduled to attend court proceedings regarding a defamation case. Local police officials and crash investigators have begun examining the site to ascertain the precise sequence of events leading to the collision.
Upon reaching the courthouse, Gandhi appeared before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Shubham Verma, who pronounced the verdict acquitting the Congress leader in the long-standing criminal defamation case. The legal challenge originated from a complaint filed in August 2018 by local BJP leader Vijay Mishra, which targeted remarks Gandhi had made about then-BJP president Amit Shah during a press conference in Bengaluru.
The dismissal of the case provided major relief to the Leader of the Opposition following years of court proceedings and hearings. With the legal formalities concluded and security details re-coordinated following the morning's highway incident, Gandhi prepared to return after the successful court appearance.
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