UP tobacco baron's son rams Lamborghini into pedestrians in Kanpur, FIR registered

An FIR has been registered against an "unidentified person" after a speeding Lamborghini allegedly driven by a tobacco baron's son ploughed into pedestrians in Kanpur, leaving at least six injured, police said on Monday.

Police said the name of Shivam Mishra, son of Banshidhar Exports Pvt Ltd's owner K K Mishra, is not there in the FIR, but he is part of the investigation.

Recalling the horror, which unfolded on VIP Road in the upscale Gwaltoli area on Sunday, eyewitnesses said the car first hit an autorickshaw and then crashed into a stationary motorcycle, flinging its rider nearly 10 feet into the air.

The car mounted the motorcycle's front wheel and dragged it for some distance before hitting an electric pole and coming to a halt.

An FIR was registered in the matter against an unidentified person late on Sunday night, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Atul Kumar Srivastava said. No one has been detained in connection with the incident, the DCP said in response to a question, adding that a detailed probe is underway. Asked if the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident, the officer said it will be known once the probe has been completed.

According to Gwaltoli police, footage from multiple CCTV cameras installed at nearby shops, traffic intersections, and residential buildings is being examined to reconstruct the sequence of events and determine the speed of the vehicle at the time of the crash.

The accused driver has been identified as Shivam Mishra. He is under close surveillance to prevent any attempt to evade the investigation, according to police. Statements of the injured victims and eyewitnesses are being recorded, while the black Lamborghini has been seized and sent for mechanical inspection, police said.

The on-road price of Lamborghini Revuelto, an Italian luxury sports car which was being driven allegedly by Shivam Mishra at the time of the accident, costs upwards of Rs 10 crore.

Gwaltoli Station House Officer (SHO) Santosh Gaur told PTI that the FIR has been registered under charges of rash and negligent driving and causing hurt based on a complaint filed by an injured, Taufiq, a resident of Chamanganj. The name of Shivam Mishra has emerged during the investigation. No arrest has been made so far, the SHO said.

Taufiq was thrown several metres and suffered serious leg injuries. The remaining injured sustained fractures and bruises, police said. All injured have been discharged from the hospital. According to officials, further legal action will follow based on the findings of the probe.

K K Mishra's Banshidhar Exports Pvt. Ltd. supplies tobacco to gutkha manufacturers in the region. The officials said the Mishras had come under the scanner of the Income Tax Department in March 2024. The department conducted searches at multiple premises in Delhi and Kanpur, and found luxury vehicles and around Rs 4.5 crore in cash. Among the seized cars was a Rolls-Royce Phantom, McLaren, Porsche, and the black Lamborghini Revuelto involved in Sunday's accident. Many of them bore the distinctive registration number "4018", the official added. Jewellery and expensive watches were also seized.

On Sunday, DCP Srivastava told reporters, "The accident occurred around 3.15 pm near Rev-3 Mall when the luxury car, allegedly driven by Shivam Mishra, the son of businessman K K Mishra, went out of control and ploughed into people standing along the roadside and several vehicles, triggering panic in the area."

Angry locals gathered at the spot after the accident and surrounded the car, forcing the driver to remain inside. Witnesses alleged that private bouncers accompanying the accused tried to push back the crowd and behaved aggressively, escalating tension.

Police rushed to the spot, rescued the driver, and shifted him and the injured to a private hospital, officials said. At the police station, the victims and local residents alleged misbehaviour by the associates of the accused and claimed that police were going soft on him due to his family's influence. Some alleged that pressure was being exerted for a compromise.

Sonu Tripathi, one of the injured, told mediapersons that he and his cousin were standing near their motorcycle when the car hit them. He said his cousin fell and two other persons were flung onto the footpath. "We have filed a complaint," he said.