Youth dies after pilot car in TMC MLA’s convoy hits motorbike

Kolkata, Sep 2 (PTI) A man was killed after his motorbike was hit by the pilot car in Trinamool Congress MLA Saokat Molla’s convoy in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on Tuesday, police said.

The registration of the pilot car used by the police was blocked by the Public Vehicles Department, according to a source.

The accident occurred in the Bamanghata area in the morning when the two-wheeler had a head-on collision with the pilot car in Molla's convoy, which was travelling from Bhangar to Kolkata, the officer said.

The injured man was taken to the SSKM Hospital in the city, where he died in the afternoon.

The victim was identified as Mohammed Tajuddin, a resident of South Kolkata’s Karaya Police Station area.

"A Kolkata Police pilot car, which was leading the convoy, collided with the motorcycle. The rider was thrown off and sustained serious injuries. The motorcycle was severely damaged in the impact," a police officer of Leather Complex Police Station, which started a probe into the matter, said.

The Canning Purba lawmaker was in a vehicle behind the pilot car.

"Following the collision, the pilot car crashed into an electric pole nearby, and its front portion was damaged,” the officer said. Molla expressed his condolences, stating, "The accident happened because the vehicle had a brake failure." Kolkata Police DC Traffic, YS Jagannathrao, said that the local police station has started an investigation into the matter. "We are watching CCTV footage of the accident," the IPS officer said.

Later, it was found that registration of the pilot car was blocked by the Public Vehicles Department a year ago, a source said.

"The vehicle is around 15 years old. It also has no pollution clearance certificate," he said. PTI SCH NN