An SUV in the convoy of Karan Bhushan, the son of controversial BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, mowed down two youths and left a woman severely injured in the Kaiserganj area of Gonda district in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.

Karan is the BJP candidate from the Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat.

The deceased have been identified as Mohammad Rehan Khan, 17, and Mohammad Shahzad Khan, 20, while the injured woman has been identified as Sita Devi, 60.

Eyewitnesses said that the driver and the others in the SUV left the car on Colonelganj-Huzurpur Road in Chhitaipurva village and escaped in another car in the convoy, in which Karan was also present.

Colonelganj Kotwali police station in-charge Nirbhay Narayan Singh said: “The bodies have been sent for post-mortem. We have registered a case against the driver of the SUV.”

According to him, Rehan and Shahzad were riding on a motorcycle when the SUV hit them near a school. After ramming into the duo, the SUV lost control and also hit Sita Devi, who was walking on the roadside.

Additional superintendent of police Radhey Shyam Rai said the accused driver, Lavkush Srivastav, 30, had been taken into custody.

Vinay Singh, circle officer of the area, said: “The deceased were cousins. They were declared dead at a local community health centre. The woman was referred to Gonda Medical College, where her condition was stated to be critical.”

Police sources said the SUV was registered in the name of Nandini Educational Institute, owned by Brij Bhushan’s family.

“We have deployed police personnel in the area because a large number of people, including locals and the family members of the victims, gathered here and chanted slogans against Brij Bhushan, Karan and the BJP. They demanded the arrest of those involved in the accident,” said an officer.

Chanda Begum, mother of Rehan, said: “They had gone to bring medicines for me. Eye-witnesses said there were 12 SUVs and cars in the convoy and they all were driven recklessly.”

The BJP had nominated Karan because a case of sexual harassment was pending against Brij Bhushan. Some women wrestlers had alleged that during his tenure as head of the Wrestlers’ Federation of India, Brij Bhushan had treated them indecently and improperly.

Brij Bhushan is a six-time MP — once from Bahraich, twice from Gonda and thrice from Kaiserganj.

His eldest son Prateek Bhushan is a BJP MLA from Gonda Sadar. Karan is the president of the Uttar Pradesh branch of the WFI.

Brij Bhushan is also accused of dacoity, attempt to murder, illegal payments in elections, rioting and keeping deadly weapons.