Truck driver tries to flee after hitting Madhya Pradesh BJP chief's SUV, held after dramatic chase

NEW DELHI: A drunk truck driver who hit BJP state president V D Sharma's SUV in Bhopal has been arrested after leading police on a dramatic 148-kilometer chase across Madhya Pradesh on Thursday night, during which he damaged multiple police vehicles, broke through barricades, and injured several officers before being caught at Udankhedi toll plaza near Pachor in Rajgarh district.
The driver, identified as Ajay Malviya, initially struck Sharma's vehicle in Lalghati area of Bhopal around 9.30pm on Thursday while returning to Shujalpur after delivering onions in Kolkata.
"The truck being driven by Malviya hit state BJP president V D Sharma's SUV in Lalghati area of Bhopal around 9.30pm on Thursday. After that, he fled from the spot and headed to Narsinghgarh," said Govind Meena, in-charge of Biora Dehat police station in Rajgarh district.
After being alerted by Sharma's security personnel, police attempted to stop the vehicle at Gandhi Nagar in Bhopal by setting up barricades, but Malviya broke through them and attempted to run over two police officers.
The chase continued as Kurawar police station staff pursued the truck to Kachnariya toll plaza, where the driver tried to hit police officers, injuring constable Santosh Verma.
The pursuit ended when Malviya stopped his truck at Udankhedi toll plaza and attempted to escape on foot, where he was finally apprehended by police.
During the chase, the heavily intoxicated driver damaged eight police vehicles from six different police stations along with several private vehicles.
Five separate FIRs have been registered against Malviya at different police stations, including two at Gandhi Nagar and Koh-e-fiza police stations in Bhopal, one at Narsinghgarh police station in Rajgarh district, and two at Biaora Dehat police station.
"During the chase, the driver hit and damaged eight police vehicles of six police stations in addition to private vehicles, and the accused was heavily drunk at that time," Meena added.
The incident spanned across multiple police jurisdictions, with law enforcement from various stations coordinating to apprehend the driver who caused damage and posed a threat to public safety throughout the extended pursuit.