Kanpur Lamborghini crash: Tobacco baron's son Shivam Mishra arrested

Police on Thursday arrested Shivam Mishra, son of local tobacco baron K K Mishra, in connection with the high-profile Lamborghini crash that left several people injured on the VIP Road earlier this week.

A Lamborghini Revuelto -- an Italian luxury sports car worth over Rs 10 crore -- rammed into pedestrians and vehicles in the upscale Gwaltoli area around 3 pm on Sunday.

Mohd Taufeeq, 18, an e-rickshaw driver injured in the crash, lodged a complaint in the matter. However, counsel for the accused later claimed that Taufeeq was not keen on pursuing legal action.

On Wednesday an alleged designated driver of the luxury sports car claimed that he, and not tobacco baron K K Mishra's son, was behind the wheel when the vehicle rammed into pedestrians on VIP Road.

The action came a day after a man claimed that he, and not Mishra, was driving the car at the time of the incident and went to the local court to surrender himself.

The court, however, rejected his surrender plea after the police maintained its stand that it had evidence to establish Mishra was behind the wheel.

"He (Mishra) has been arrested and will be presented before the court," Commissioner of Police Raghubir Lal told PTI earlier in the day.

In the run-up to his arrest, Mishra had been in a hospital in Delhi where he was undergoing treatment for a medical condition, his family claimed, an official said, requesting anonymity.

The 35-year-old was immediately taken to Kanpur to be produced before a court, the official added.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Atul Srivastava told PTI that the police arrested Mishra, acting on specific inputs that he had arrived in Kanpur.

As many as five police teams were formed to trace and arrest Mishra, as he was not cooperating with the investigation and repeatedly failed to appear before the police for questioning, the DCP said.

The police produced him before ACJM court around 10 am, seeking 14 days' judicial custody, officials said.

After preliminary questioning, Mishra was produced before the court of the Additional Civil Judge (Senior Division), DCP added.

Earlier, a police officer told PTI on anonymity condition that Mishra was arrested from a hospital, without specifying the location and in his later version, he said that the arrest was made in Kanpur after police received information that the accused had come to the city for undisclosed reasons.

District Government Counsel (Crime) Dileep Awasthi told PTI that the prosecution presented its case before the court presided over by Amit Singh, while the defence sought bail for the accused.

Arguments from both sides have concluded, and the court is likely to pronounce its order later in the day on whether Mishra will be granted bail or sent to judicial custody.

Lamborghini Revuelto, an Italian luxury sports car worth over Rs 10 crore, rammed into pedestrians and vehicles in the upscale Gwaltoli area around 3 pm on Sunday.

The police said that their preliminary probe, supported by CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts, indicated that the car was speeding before the collision.

Videos circulating on social media appear to show private security personnel pulling a man believed to be Mishra out of the driver's seat immediately after the crash and then taking him away in another SUV.

The police had initially listed an "unidentified driver" in the First Information Report (FIR) as accused, but later amended it to name Shivam Mishra after preliminary evidence emerged.

In a hearing on Wednesday, a local court rejected the surrender application of an individual named Mohan Lal, who claimed he was driving the car at the time of the crash, on the grounds that his name was not in the FIR and evidence points to Mishra as the driver.

While the police have stood by their findings, Mishra's father and his counsel have maintained that he was not driving the Lamborghini at the time of the accident.

They claimed that a hired driver was at the wheel, and that Mishra was unwell and suffered a medical episode during the ride -- a condition his family says could have contributed to the mishap.

Mishra's father also alleged that the car had experienced a technical issue prior to the crash. These assertions are expected to be examined as part of the ongoing investigation and potential medical and forensic evaluations, according to officials.

The high-profile case has drawn intense public scrutiny nationwide with many on social media alleging preferential treatment and delayed action by law enforcement following the crash.