Pilot’s escort to be blamed, not bus driver — Eyewitnesses

According to this version, the escort vehicle provided by the police had passed the bus when the latter started overtaking the truck, leaving no room for Pilot’s jeep which was following the escort vehicle. The truck, according to this version, was going towards Dausa from Jaipur.

Eyewitness accounts contradict this story. According to Ramji Lal, general secretary of Dausa district Congress committee, who was sitting next to Pilot when the accident happened and is now lying in the hospital with serious injuries, it was Pilot and the escort vehicle which were overtaking the truck, which was going towards Jaipur.

The escort vehicle overtook it and managed to clear it in time to avoid the roadways bus coming from Jaipur. Pilot, following the escort in his jeep at a very high speed, tried to clear the truck but the roadways bus coming from the opposite direction did not leave enough space on the road. It was this attempt to overtake, with a bus approaching from the front, that resulted in the accident.

The driver of the escort vehicle should thus share the blame for it is supposed to stay close to the VIP’s vehicle and clear the way for it. According to this version, it appears that the police are twisting the facts to shield their men and blame the bus driver who is innocent.

The ambulance crew of a private eye hospital, who were going towards Jaipur when their vehicle was overtaken by Pilot’s jeep just before the accident, also confirmed this.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police on Wednesday said the security for Pilot was adequate, insisting that his death did not occur due to lack of it. "We had evaluated his security and provided adequate number of guards at his residence as well as during travel," Special Commissioner of Police R S Gupta said here.