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Tobacco baron’s son to be named as accused in Lamborghini crash case: Kanpur police
The SHO of Gwaltoli area was removed from his post as he had “he failed to follow due procedure after the accident...,” says commissioner of police
KANPUR Police on Monday said they would name 26-year-old Shivam Mishra — the son of a prominent tobacco baron — as an accused in the Lamborghini crash that left three people injured in Kanpur on Sunday. No arrests have been made yet in the accident, but a Station House Officer (SHO) has been removed for allegedly attempting to shield Mishra.
The move comes a day after the luxury sports car — Lamborghini Revuelto — reportedly belonging to Banshidhar Exports Pvt Ltd’s owner KK Mishra allegedly swerved at high speed, hit an autorickshaw and a stationary motorcycle before climbing on a pavement and striking pedestrians near Ring Wala Chauraha in upscale Gwaltoli area. Autorickshaw driver Tauseef Ahmed, and two motorcycle-borne men -- Vishal and Sonu Tripathi -- sustained injuries in the incident.
Based on the complaint lodged by Ahmed on Monday, the current FIR has named an “unidentified driver” under sections 281 (negligent driving), 125 and 125b (endangering life and causing injuries) and 324(4) (use of dangerous means causing hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).
Later, however, commissioner of police Raghubir Lal said: “The Lamborghini has been seized. It was driven by Shivam Mishra. After the accident, his bouncers pulled him out of the car. It is being said that he has some medical issues. The FIR of the accident was registered earlier, and now, in our investigation, we have learned that the name of the driver is Shivam Mishra. His name will be added as an accused.”
Police have also removed SHO of Gwaltoli area, Santosh Gaur, from his post. “He failed to follow due procedure after the accident... The lapse amounts to negligence. Immediate action has been taken,” Lal said.
Recalling the horror, witnesses said the car struck the stationary motorcycle with such force that the rider was flung nearly 10 feet into the air. The Lamborghini then mounted the motorcycle’s front wheel and dragged it for some distance before coming to a halt. Asked if the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, police said the facts would be established once the investigation is complete.
Passersby alleged that, immediately after the accident, private bouncers accompanying the accused in another vehicle rushed to Mishra’s aid, broke open the car’s window and pulled him out as he lay unconscious. Their actions triggered a confrontation with locals, who accused them of trying to whisk him away. A scuffle ensued before Mishra was taken to a hospital, said a local.
Videos recorded by bystanders at the scene of crime, which have since been widely circulated online, purportedly showed security personnel pulling Mishra out of the driver’s seat.
Some social media posts also flagged earlier instances allegedly involving Mishra and high-speed driving on the Yamuna Expressway and city roads, though police have not yet confirmed any prior cases.
While no arrest has taken place yet, the case has turned into a battle of narratives regarding who was actually behind the wheel.
Amid speculation that Mishra may have been inebriated, his family stepped into say that he has been suffering from a medical condition and had a seizure behind the wheel, leading to the accident. “He has been having such episodes for the last six months,” a family member told the police.
His lawyer Mrityunjay Singh, however, contested the claim, asserting that a driver was at the wheel. “Shivam was not driving. His health is fragile. An application has been moved before the court and all proceedings will follow the legal process. The matter will be heard on Tuesday.”
An official aware of the matter said that Mishra would undergo a medical examination to check whether epilepsy or another medical condition could have contributed to the crash.
Lal said further action would depend on the report. “If the tests show that he was medically unfit to drive, we will examine how he obtained a driving licence,” he said, adding that the role of the Regional Transport Office staff would also be scrutinised.
KK Mishra’s family had earlier come under the scanner in March 2024, when Income Tax Department raids in Delhi and Kanpur, found luxury vehicles worth around ₹70 crore — including a Rolls-Royce Phantom, Lamborghini, Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin — and around ₹4.5 crore in cash were seized.
