Washim (Maharashtra), Dec 29 : A vehicle registered in the name of Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav met with an accident on the Samruddhi Mahamarg near Ridhora village in Washim district on Sunday leaving three persons seriously injured, police said.
The minister was not present in the vehicle at the time of the incident. Officials said the car had dropped Jadhav at Nagpur airport and was heading towards Mehkar when it collided head-on with an oncoming truck.
The injured have been identified as the minister’s bodyguard Nilesh Wakudkar, driver Bhushan Chopde and colleague Vaibhav Deshmukh. Local residents and workers arranged an ambulance and rushed them to Lifeline Hospital in Washim, where they are undergoing treatment.
Police officials confirmed that the vehicle was registered in Jadhav’s name but reiterated that he was not part of the convoy during the accident. “The vehicle involved in the accident is registered in the name of Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav, but he was not present in the car at the time of the incident,” a police official said.
The front portion of the car was completely damaged in the collision. “The exact cause of the accident is being investigated,” police sources said.
Authorities said the minister could not be immediately informed as the convoy was returning after dropping him in Nagpur.
Prataprao Jadhav, a Shiv Sena leader, has been serving as Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare since 2024. He is a four-time Lok Sabha member from the Buldhana constituency, having been elected consecutively since 2009.
