Senior Punjab Congress leader Khushbaz Singh Jatan and his driver were killed on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway in Sonipat on Thursday night, April 2. A Punjab Police constable was seriously injured in the crash near the Jakholi toll plaza and is battling for his life.
Jatan was returning from Delhi to Punjab when the accident occurred. His vehicle had been stopped on the roadside due to a punctured tyre, and he was preparing to get it repaired after changing the tyre. During this time, a speeding truck rammed into the parked car from behind. Jatan and his driver, Parminder Singh, died on the spot, while his gunman, constable Karandeep Singh, sustained serious injuries.
Khushbaz Jatan, who contested the Talwandi Sabo seat in Bathinda, was a senior Congress leader. He had contested the 2022 Assembly elections and had also served as a chairman in the Punjab government. Upon receiving information about the accident, Sonipat police reached the spot, took the bodies into custody, and sent them to Sonipat Civil Hospital. Post-mortem examinations are expected to be conducted on both bodies.
"We received information regarding Khushbaz Jatana's vehicle—carrying him, his driver, and his gunman—stating that it collided with an unidentified truck while they were changing a tyre. In this incident, Khushbaz Jatana and his driver died, while the gunman was injured and is currently undergoing treatment. They were travelling from Delhi to Bathinda. The bodies have been taken into custody for a post-mortem examination. We will arrest the truck driver shortly," Kundli Station House Officer Sethi Malik said.
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The truck driver fled the scene after the collision. Police have launched an investigation and are conducting raids to trace and arrest the absconding driver.