At least 1 killed, 6 injured as police vehicle escorting Tejashwi Yadav collides with car

A 50-year-old home guard was killed when a police vehicle escorting RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav collided head-on with a car in Bihar's Purnea district, a senior official said on Monday, 26 February.

According to Purnea SP Upendra Nath Verma, six personnel of Bihar Military Police (BMP), who were in the same police jeep, were also injured in the accident late Monday night.

"Tejashwi Yadav, the former deputy chief minister and the leader of the opposition, was passing through the district, on his way to Katihar. As per protocol, we had sent a vehicle from the police lines to escort him," the superintendent of police said.

The police jeep, while trying to keep pace with Yadav's vehicle, "ended up on the wrong side of the Purnea-Katihar road and crashed into a car coming from the opposite side. Home guard Mohd Halim who was driving the vehicle, died on the spot", the SP said.

Notably, Yadav is touring the state as part of "Jan Vishwas Yatra".

The injured BMP jawans were admitted to the government medical college at Purnea where their condition was said to be out of danger, the police official said.

The occupants of the car received minor injuries as airbags installed in their vehicle minimised the impact of the crash.