The investigation into Kanpur’s high-profile Lamborghini crash took a new turn on Wednesday after a man claiming to be the designated driver of the vehicle said he — and not tobacco baron KK Mishra’s son Shivam Mishra — was driving at the time of the accident on VIP Road.
However, the police reiterated that the available evidence clearly shows that Shivam Mishra is behind the wheel.
Mohan, who identified himself as the designated driver, told reporters outside a local court that he lost control of the luxury sports car after Shivam, who was sitting next to him, allegedly suffered a seizure moments before the accident.
“I was driving the car when the accident happened. He suddenly had a fit and fell on me. I got scared and tried to hold him with one hand. The car hit the tricycle, climbed the partition and stopped,” he said.
Mohan further stated that he was unable to get out of the vehicle immediately due to its automatic locking.
“I moved him to the driver’s seat and got out. The glass was later broken,” he added.
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The court refuses to accept the surrender
Mohan’s attorney filed a request for extradition in court. Acting on plea, Mohan appeared before the court on Wednesday to formally surrender, officials said.
However, the Gwaltoli police did not name him as an accused in the report submitted to the court. Based on this, the court refused to accept his extradition and directed the police department to file a detailed report.
Crash details
Lamborghini Revubelto — Italian luxury sports car Award-winning and more ₹10 million — rammed into pedestrians and vehicles in the upscale Gwaltoli area around 3 pm on Sunday.
One of the injured, 18-year-old e-rickshaw driver Mohd Taufeeq, later filed a criminal complaint in connection with the incident.
According to the defense, Taufeeq has since decided not to proceed with the trial.
Dharmendra Singh “Dharmu”, counsel for Shivam Mishra, claimed on Wednesday that Taufeeq had reached a mutual settlement and no longer wished to pursue the case.
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Dharmu also claimed that Mohan was driving the car at the time and compensated Taufeeq for medical expenses and other losses.
Request for a written settlement at the police station
Sources said Taufeeq was summoned to the Gwaltoli police station on the day of the accident itself, where a written agreement was reportedly signed between him and the driver in the presence of the then Station House Officer (SHO), Santosh Kumar Gaur.
Though the SHO was later exonerated and sent to the lines on Wednesday, senior police officials refused to comment on the alleged settlement.
The father’s statements show a contradiction
Father Shivam Mishra initially told the police that the driver was behind the wheel while Shivam was sitting inside the car.
“There was a driver and Shivam in the car and the driver Mohan was behind the wheel instead of Shivam,” he said earlier.
However, KK Mishra later changed his version and said that he was not sure who was driving and that the matter should be thoroughly investigated.
Technical snag and health claims
KK Mishra also claimed that the car developed a technical problem a day before the incident and after the repair, it was taken for testing. He said Shivam started losing consciousness while returning from Civil Lines.
“When the driver checked on him, the car slowed down and an autorickshaw hit him,” he said, adding that security personnel traveling in a separate SUV broke a window to save his son.
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The family claimed that Shivam suffers from epilepsy and is undergoing treatment in Delhi. They also denied charges of speeding or being drunk.
The police deny the defense’s claims
The Kanpur police rejected the family’s version of events.
Commissioner of Police Raghubir Lal told PTI that CCTV footage, eyewitness accounts and other material evidence indicated that Shivam Mishra was driving the car at the time of the accident.
Senior officers also cited videos that allegedly showed bystanders pulling a man, believed to be Shivam, from the driver’s seat immediately after the collision.
FIR changed, car impounded
The FIR was initially filed against an unidentified driver but was later revised to name Shivam Mishra as an accused. The Lamborghini has since been impounded and sent for forensic examination.
(With inputs from news agency PTI)