Congress leader Rahul Gandhi escaped unhurt on Monday, 26 October 2026, after five vehicles and an ambulance travelling in his convoy collided on the Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh. Several people were injured in the pile-up, including Congress workers, party office-bearers and security personnel, but police said no major injuries were reported.
What happened
The collision took place near the 91-kilometre milestone in the Haliyapur area of Sultanpur district, about 100 kilometres from Lucknow and roughly 35 kilometres short of Gandhi’s destination. Gandhi was travelling from Lucknow to Sultanpur, where a special MP-MLA court was due to hear a defamation case against him.
CCTV footage from the scene showed the ambulance in the right-hand fast lane, with the other vehicles bunched together in the remaining lanes. Photographs from the site showed a Scorpio SUV with a crumpled bonnet stopped in front of the ambulance after the impact.
How the collision happened
According to a police officer quoted by the Press Trust of India, a private vehicle at the front of the convoy, belonging to local Congress leaders, suddenly applied its brakes for an unspecified reason at around 10.15 am. The vehicles travelling behind it could not stop in time and collided with one another, setting off a chain collision involving five vehicles and an ambulance.
The officer added that the incident was not serious and that no major injuries were reported, even though several people travelling with the convoy were hurt. Reports did not give an exact number of injured people, and the reason the lead vehicle braked suddenly has not been confirmed.
Who was injured
Those injured reportedly included Congress workers, party office-bearers and personnel involved in the convoy’s security arrangements. No official list of the injured has been released, and no hospital has publicly confirmed admissions linked to the crash.
Gandhi himself was not injured. He continued his journey to Sultanpur after the collision, and police said he was expected to reach the court at around 11.15 am.
The journey to Sultanpur
Gandhi had arrived at Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport on Monday morning, where hundreds of Congress workers and local party leaders had gathered to welcome him. He did not speak to reporters before leaving for Sultanpur.
Uttar Pradesh Congress president Aradhana Mishra, known as Mona, told PTI Videos that the party had complete faith in the judiciary and that Gandhi was travelling to Sultanpur for the court case alone. Police strengthened security around the Sultanpur court complex in view of the proceedings.
The defamation case behind the journey
The case dates back to 2018. Gandhi was accused of making objectionable remarks about Amit Shah, who was then the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party and is now the Union Home Minister, during a press conference in Bengaluru in May 2018, ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections.
Vijay Mishra, then the chairman of the Sultanpur District Co-operative Bank and a BJP district vice-president, filed the complaint. One of the lawyers in the case, Kashi Prasad Shukla, told ANI on Monday that Gandhi had referred to Shah as an accused in a murder case. Gandhi appeared before the Sultanpur court in 2023 and secured bail.
The court had first scheduled its verdict for 13 October, but later fixed 26 October for the pronouncement — the same day as the convoy collision.
What happened after he reached Sultanpur
Gandhi reached Sultanpur despite the morning collision, and the court went ahead with its proceedings. He was acquitted later on Monday in the defamation case, as reported in our earlier coverage of the verdict.
Why it matters
The incident underlines the risks of high-speed convoy travel on expressways, where a single sudden stop can set off a chain collision involving several vehicles. It also shows how quickly a routine political journey can turn into a security incident: the convoy was carrying a Leader of the Opposition, protected by police, on a fixed court timetable.
For the Congress, the day ended very differently from how it began. A morning that started with a road accident finished with a courtroom win for its most prominent leader — and the party was quick to frame both events as part of the same journey to face the law.
Timeline
- Monday morning, 26 October 2026: Rahul Gandhi arrives at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow, and is welcomed by hundreds of Congress workers.
- Around 10.15 am: A private vehicle at the front of the convoy brakes suddenly near the 91-kilometre milestone at Haliyapur on the Purvanchal Expressway.
- Moments later: Five vehicles and an ambulance collide; several Congress workers, office-bearers and security personnel are injured; Gandhi is unhurt.
- Around 11.15 am: Gandhi is expected to reach the special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur.
- Later on Monday: The Sultanpur court acquits Gandhi in the 2018 defamation case over remarks about Amit Shah.
Frequently asked questions
Was Rahul Gandhi injured in the convoy accident?
No. All reports agree that Gandhi was safe and uninjured in the collision on the Purvanchal Expressway, and he continued to Sultanpur afterwards.
How many vehicles were involved in the crash?
Five vehicles and an ambulance collided near the 91-kilometre milestone at Haliyapur, after the lead vehicle braked suddenly at around 10.15 am.
Who was injured in the Purvanchal Expressway collision?
Several people were injured, including Congress workers, party office-bearers and security personnel travelling with the convoy. Police said no major injuries were reported, but no exact number or official list has been released.
Why was Rahul Gandhi travelling to Sultanpur?
He was travelling to appear before a special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur in a defamation case dating back to 2018, over alleged remarks about Amit Shah. The verdict had been fixed for 26 October.
What caused the convoy collision?
According to police, a private vehicle at the front of the convoy, belonging to local Congress leaders, suddenly braked for an unspecified reason, causing the vehicles behind it to collide with one another.
What happened in the defamation case?
Gandhi was acquitted later on Monday, as covered in our earlier report on the Sultanpur verdict.
Related coverage
Gandhi was acquitted later on Monday in the Sultanpur defamation case — read our full report on the verdict. You can find more international and India coverage in our World section.