A police escort vehicle assigned to former Punjab cabinet minister and All-India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF) chairperson Maninderjeet Singh Bitta was rammed by a car allegedly driven by a drunk man in the city on April 29 — and as his cavalcade crossed into Delhi later that night, a second incident occurred near Mahipalpur, where a woman allegedly struck another vehicle in the convoy.The exact time of the second incident was not immediately clear. Police arrested the accused driver in the Gurgaon case, Sunil alias Vicky, ruling out any other motive.“The accused was in an inebriated state and dozed off, following which he rammed his vehicle into a divider and also collided with the rear of the police escort vehicle,” said investigating officer Surender Singh.The first incident occurred at 10.20pm. The govt vehicle was part of a Quick Reaction Team (QRT) escort assigned to Bitta from DLF 2 police station. Bitta has been accorded Z+ security following multiple attempts on his life.According to police, a Brezza overtook the escort vehicle three times in a risky manner before suddenly ramming into its rear, damaging the light assembly, side panel and rear bumper. The police team intercepted the Brezza and apprehended the driver. A complaint was filed by constable Mahesh Kumar who was driving Bitta’s vehicle, and the Brezza was taken to Sector 17/18 police station.The driver was sent for medical examination to the civil hospital in Sector 10 the same night, where a doctor noted the smell of alcohol. Due to ongoing VIP duty, the formal complaint could not be submitted that night. After it was received on Thursday, police arrested Sunil and registered a case under sections 281 (rash driving), 125 (endangering human life), and 324(4) (mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Section 185 (driving under the influence) of the Motor Vehicles Act.Bitta told TOI he was initially unaware of the Gurgaon accident, as the vehicle involved was behind his cavalcade. “I could not stop at either spot because bids have been made on my life 14 times,” he said. He was returning from the city to Delhi at the time.In the second incident near Mahipalpur, sources said a woman hit a car in the cavalcade and a physical altercation ensued with Bitta’s staff. Bitta did not stop due to security reasons. A complaint against the woman was lodged with Delhi Police.Bitta is a former president of the Indian Youth Congress and served as a cabinet minister in Punjab under former chief minister Beant Singh. He has survived assassination attempts, including bomb blasts — the basis for his high-security cover.
