Truck hits escort vehicle, union minister claims 'serious attempt on life'

Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Anantkumar Hegde on Tuesday claimed that a “deliberate attempt” was made on his life when a truck hit his escort vehicle in Karnataka's Haveri district.

Hegde was traveling near Halageri in Ranebennur taluk of Haveri district around 11:30 p.m. when the incident took place. Police have arrested the truck driver.

The minister posted a video and pictures on his Twitter account, saying that a truck tried to ram into his escort vehicle when he was travelling on the national highway near Halageri in Ranebennur taluk of Haveri district in poll-bound Karnataka. “Since our vehicle was on top speed we escaped the hit,” the minister said.

“A deliberate attempt on my life seems to have been executed just now. A truck on NH, near Halageri in Ranebennur taluk of Haveri district has hit my escort vehicle which tried to hit my vehicle in the first instance. Since our vehicle was in top speed we escaped the hit,” tweeted Hegde.

He added that the support staff in the escort vehicle has suffered “severe injuries in the form of shoulder fracture”. The minister further said that the vehicle “was parked right in the road horizontally”.

In a series of tweets, Hedge alleged that the driver of the truck had driven his vehicle in the wrong direction and had parked it horizontal to the road. When he saw the convoy approaching, Hedge further writes, the driver accelerated and attempted to hit the oncoming cars.

Hedge also alleged that the driver - whom he identified as Nasir - was not drunk and that the accident was in fact deliberate.

"I urge the police to take the case seriously. There might be a bigger nexus behind this incident and I am sure police would expose all of them," he added.