On August 9, the truck Gurjant was driving rammed the convoy of Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee while she was on her way back from Lalgarh. Banerjee was injured and had to undergo medical treatment.

“I am going back to my world of wheels... I have had enough,” said the young truck driver, who is married and has three children.

The incident at Kolaghat was his first tryst with banerjee, whose name, he said, he never heard before.

“I am a tip-chap (illiterate),” he said. “I have never heard her name nor attended a political rally in my life. We are a poor family and have to work hard for a living,” Gurjant — the eldest son of his father, a small farmer — said before leaving for the court at Tamluk, where judge Gopal Dalmia extended his bail till November 30. The judge said he was free to go to Punjab provided he submits his address and contact number with the CID.

Tapan Aditya, investigating officer of CID, which is inquiring into the matter, told the court that he could not get the medical report of Banerje or a statement of Subhendu Adhikary, the Trinamool MP who filed the case against Gurjant.

“He is leaving for Punjab soon,” said Udham Singh, president of Shri Guru Singh Sabha of Rashbehari Avenue, an organisation of the Sikh community in Kolkata, which has thrown its entire weight behind the young man.

“He is innocent and as is our practice to stand by the distressed and ill-fated, we have helped him in every way. He became a victim of circumstances, but withstood it anyway.”

The Sabha hired an advocate for him and “sent the message that we were with him,” Singh said. “We were constantly in touch with the CID. And since his bail on August 25, he has been staying with us.”