Tobacco baron's son Shivam Mishra arrested in Kanpur Lamborghini crash case

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 in Kanpur earlier this week, the police chief said.

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 on Thursday morning.

Mishra was taken into custody from a hospital in Delhi where he was undergoing treatment for his alleged medical condition (as claimed by his family), an official said, requesting anonymity.

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

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.

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.