Haveri: UNION Minister of State for Skill Development Anantkumar Hegde’s escort vehicle was hit by a lorry in Haveri on Tuesday night.

The lorry hit the car which was tailing the minister’s car near Halageri Cross in Ranebennur taluk on Pune-Bengaluru Road. Hegde who was moving from Sirsi to Bengaluru had a narrow escape. A police officer sitting in the escort vehicle suffered injuries in his shoulders. Soon after the collision, Hegde tweeted: “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 first instance (sic). Since our vehicle was in top speed, we escaped the hit.” Following the incident, several proBJP activists shared the accident pictures on social media and claimed that the minister was being targeted.

Locals and officials who were present along with the minister handed over lorry driver Nasir Ahmed Mader to the police. The driver hails from Muttinakatti village of NR Pura taluk in Chikkamagaluru district. The lorry (KA 18 A 8733) was returning to N R Pura after loading grocery material at Tarihal Industrial Estate in Hubballi.

The driver was said to be on the one-way direction and he could not judge the speeding convoy and hit the escort vehicle. Haveri SP K Parashuram said the preliminary investigation shows that there was no foul play. “Lorry driver Nasir took his vehicle in the wrong way on the National Highway and hit the escort vehicle of the Minister near Halageri.

We have arrested Nasir and investigation is on. A special team has been formed and it will visit N R Pura for further investigation,” he added. ADGP visits spot ADGP (Western Range) K V Sharat Chandra visited the spot along with top police officers of the district. He examined the truck involved in the collision. Chandra also visited the hospital where the injured police staff are being treated.