Stuck on highway, Punjab Congress leader Khushbaz Singh Jatana, driver killed as truck slams Defender

By: Manoj Dhaka
SONIPAT: Punjab Congress functionary Khushbaz Singh Jatana and his driver were killed, while his gunman was critically injured after a speeding truck rammed into their stationary Land Rover Defender SUV on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway near Sonipat on Thursday evening.

Jatana had contested the 2017 and 2022 Punjab assembly elections from Talwandi Sabo as a Congress candidate, but lost both times.

According to police, the accident took place at 6.15pm near the Jakhauli toll plaza. Jatana was travelling from Delhi to Punjab in a Land Rover Defender SUV when the vehicle reportedly developed a tyre puncture.

Police said the SUV had been pulled over to the roadside and a local mechanic had been called to replace the tyre. While the driver and mechanic were changing the wheel, Jatana and his gunman were standing near the vehicle when a speeding truck allegedly hit the SUV from behind.

The impact was severe, and Jatana and the driver died on the spot, police said. The gunman sustained critical injuries, while the mechanic was also hurt.

The injured were rushed to Sonipat civil hospital, from where the gunman was referred to Rohtak for advanced treatment. The mechanic is undergoing treatment.

Rai police station SHO Shetty Malik said the truck driver fled the spot with the vehicle. Police have identified the truck number, registered a case and launched a manhunt. CCTV footage from nearby areas is also being scanned. The bodies have been sent for postmortem.