The investigation into the high-profile Lamborghini crash in Kanpur took a contentious turn after the police revealed that CCTV footage shows Shivam Mishra, the son of a prominent tobacco baron, driving the vehicle at the time of the incident. According to the police, CCTV footage, eyewitness accounts and other evidence confirm that Shivam was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash.
The accident occurred in the upscale Gwaltoli area. The Lamborghini allegedly rammed into an autorickshaw and a parked motorcycle. It then mounted the pavement and struck pedestrians. The vehicle is said to be worth around ₹12 crore.
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Shivam’s lawyer, Dharmendra Singh Dharmu, claimed that the car was being driven by a driver at the time of the incident. The claim was in contradiction to police assertions that CCTV footage, eyewitness accounts and other evidence placed the businessman’s son, Shivam Mishra, behind the wheel of the vehicle.
Police commissioner Raghubir Lal confirmed that Shivam Mishra was named as an accused after the FIR, initially registered against an unidentified person, was updated based on evidence collected during the probe. He said the probe established that Mishra was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash. “We will shortly file a charge sheet against Mishra. There will be no laxity,” he added.
What did the CCTV footage reveal?
Two videos — one CCTV clip and another recorded by bystanders — had surfaced, purportedly showing members of Mishra family’s security team following the Lamborghini, opening its door and pulling Shivam out from the driver’s seat after the crash. The police described the footage as a crucial piece of evidence in the case.
Tobacco baron KK Mishra reached the Gwaltoli police station on Tuesday after being summoned, amid allegations that his security staff had blocked investigators from entering his residence for the past two days. During his two-hour stay at the station, Mishra said he would cooperate with the investigation but claimed his son was undergoing treatment in Delhi and would join the probe once his condition improved.
Mishra insisted that his son was not driving the car. He told media persons that Shivam suddenly felt unwell and began to doze off, prompting the driver to apply the brakes, after which a tempo hit the vehicle. He claimed security personnel broke the window and pulled the driver out first, followed by Shivam.
Mishra alleged that only the footage showing Shivam being taken out of the car was circulated, while the part showing the driver emerging was not shown. Responding to police claims that Shivam was driving, he said: “The driver was driving the car…my son is being framed.”
Lawyer Dharmendra Singh, representing the Mishra family, said the driver, Mohan Lal, had submitted an affidavit in court stating he was driving the vehicle. According to the affidavit, Shivam felt dizzy and a tempo hit the Lamborghini, after which the window was broken and Shivam was pulled out. Singh also said Shivam was in Delhi for treatment.
The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when the speeding Lamborghini, bearing a Delhi registration number, veered on to the pavement on VIP Road, hitting pedestrians and vehicles. Taufiq Ahmed, a resident of Chamanganj, suffered serious injuries to his leg, while two motorcycle riders, Vishal and Sonu Tripathi, were also injured. An auto-rickshaw and a motorcycle parked on the roadside were badly damaged.
(With inputs from HT correspondent)