'Chhattisgarh home minister's vehicle had no safety features'

Ram Sewak Paikra suffered multiple injuries after he was involved in an accident on his back to native village

A preliminary investigation in the accident, which left Chhattisgarh home minister Ram Sewak Paikra injured, has revealed that he was travelling in a vehicle with least safety measures. His car had collided with a pick-up van on Wednesday night.

The accident took place between Ghat Pendari and Moran village — about 450 kms from here — in Balrampur district of Sarguja range. The minister, while returning to his native village after attending party programmes, was in the SUV when a pick-up van breached the carcade and collided with it. The persons on-board were critically injured. 

Being the home minister of the Naxal-infested state, Paikra had been provided with Z-Plus security cover. The pilot vehicle leads the carcade followed by other vehicles. 

Under the security plan, the minister was travelling in his private SUV — abandoning the official vehicle — a part of security drill in the sensitive pockets. Sarguja region that adjoins Jharkhand’s Naxal-infested belt had been categorised as sensitive area.

“Preliminary investigation underlined that the SUV was not having basic safety features including Airbags, head injury protection, head restrains etc,” a senior official from Sarguja said. Even the minister had missed to put the seat belt, he said, adding that had the minister followed the guidelines, the impact would not have been so severe.

Despite the pick-up van collided from the driver’s side, Paikra sustained multiple injuries though he was sitting next to the driver’s seat. The minister sustained serious injuries on his head while his both the legs were fractured.

Paikra was flown from Sarguja in Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper on the night itself. He was admitted to a private hospital in the wee hours Thursday. The doctors attending on him said even his lungs had been affected.

Chief Minister Raman Singh said a high level probe had been ordered that would examine all the issues related to the accident.