Pravin Togadia cries conspiracy after truck hits his SUV

SURAT: Less than two months after a 24-hour missing-and-found drama in Ahmedabad, Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) international working president Pravin Togadia was at the centre of a fresh row after multi-axle trailer-truck hit his sports utility vehicle (SUV) from behind near Kamrej on NH 48 near Surat on Wednesday.
The firebrand leader cried conspiracy and claimed that he could have been killed had his vehicle not been bullet-proof. Addressing media-persons after the incident, he alleged that his Z-plus security was “deliberately weakened” by the state government and demanded an independent inquiry into the incident.

Togadia alleged that he was not provided two escort vehicles as per Z+ security protocol and this was confirmed by the rural police. Police investigation also revealed that Togadia’s convoy overtook the trailer-truck involved in the accident from left when the accident took place. The SUV was hit by the truck near Manisha Hotel when he was coming to the city from Vadodara.

Assistant sub-inspector Harisinh Vaghela, who was driving the SUV, has lodged a complaint with Kamrej police station. Police arrested a resident of Rajasthan Rajkumar Raut, who was driving the truck, and booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including rash driving.

Togadia had left from Vadodara in the morning and reached Manisha Hotel at around 11 am when his car was hit by the trailer (GJ-01-DX-0893) from behind. Police investigation revealed that the truck was moving in the first lane and did not give side to Togadia’s SUV, which was led by a pilot car despite the drivers of both vehicles honking. Soon, the pilot car and Togadia’s SUV overtook the truck from left side. The pilot car returned to the first lane after overtaking, but when the SVU was returning to the first lane, it was hit by the truck. The SUV’s outer body got damaged, while driver Vaghela suffered minor injury on the right wrist. Togadia got down from the damaged SUV and reached city in Sachin area to attend a function in the pilot car.

“I am provided Z+ security cover and as per the security protocol, two escort cars and a pilot car are provided to me on highways wherever in India I go. There were escort cars and pilot cars up to Bharuch, but as soon as I entered Surat district, the cars were missing. There was only pilot car,” Togadia said. He claimed that he had communicated to concerned authorities about his travel plan on Tuesday at 5 pm.

“Police recently dug out 21-year-old Atmaram Patel case and also started investigation in Rajasthan case against me to pressurize. This could be part of it and attempts are being made to topple me from leadership of VHP,” he alleged. Togadia even demanded that the truck driver’s call data record and background be checked thoroughly.

Surat rural police confirmed that the escort cars were not provided and range inspector-general of police G S Malik has ordered a probe.

“There should have been two escort cars, but under what circumstances they were not provided is being inquired. We are investigating the case in detail,” Malik told TOI. “So far, we have found that the truck was not giving way to the pilot car followed by Togadia’s SUV. It is a violation of traffic rules. The pilot car and SUV overtook the truck from left side. The pilot car went ahead, but the SUV was hit by the truck while entering the first lane,” Malik added.