In a major breakthrough four days after a speeding Lamborghini mowed down pedestrians on Kanpur’s VIP Road, police on Thursday arrested Shivam Mishra, the son of prominent local tobacco businessman KK Mishra. Mishra was taken into custody from a hospital where he was reportedly undergoing treatment, bringing the high-profile industrialist’s son into the net following a saga filled with dramatic twists and conflicting claims.
Mishra is expected to be produced before a local court later today. His arrest stems from the Sunday afternoon incident involving a Lamborghini Revuelto—a cutting-edge Italian hybrid supercar valued at over Rs 10 crore—which crashed into multiple pedestrians and vehicles.
The chaos on the road left several injured, including 18-year-old e-rickshaw driver Mohd Taufeeq, who later filed the First Information Report (FIR) that set the legal proceedings in motion.
While the arrest of the prime accused marks a significant step in the investigation, the case remains mired in confusion following a stunning claim made just 24 hours prior to the arrest.
On Wednesday, a man identifying himself as Mohan approached the media outside a courthouse, asserting that he—and not Shivam Mishra—was the actual driver of the Rs 10-crore vehicle at the time of the tragedy.
Mohan claimed he was employed as the designated driver for the luxury vehicle. According to his narrative, Shivam was seated in the passenger seat when he suddenly suffered a seizure and collapsed onto the driver.
"I was driving the car. Shivam sahab was sitting next to me when he suddenly had a seizure and fell on me. I panicked. I tried to support him with one hand, but I lost control," Mohan told reporters.
He described a harrowing sequence of events: the car first struck a three-wheeler, then mounted the divider before grinding to a halt. In a detail that adds a layer of intrigue to the case, Mohan alleged that the vehicle’s advanced automatic locking system prevented him from exiting immediately.
"By the time the doors unlocked, I panicked. I moved Shivam sahab into the driver’s seat to make it look like he was driving, and then I got out," Mohan alleged.
Mohan’s sudden appearance and detailed account have raised more questions than answers. Investigators are now faced with the task of verifying his claims against CCTV footage, forensic evidence from the airbag deployment systems, and telematics data from the luxury supercar, which likely contains a black box capable of recording speed, braking, and steering inputs prior to impact.
While the defence team is expected to lean heavily on the seizure and "designated driver" alibi, police sources indicate that the arrest suggests investigators have found sufficient evidence placing Shivam Mishra at the helm—or holding him vicariously liable—for the incident.
The case has captivated Kanpur, not only due to the eye-watering price tag of the vehicle involved but also due to the high-stakes legal battle brewing between the state police and one of the city’s wealthiest business families.
As Shivam Mishra awaits his day in court, the key question remains: Was he a victim of a medical emergency, or the perpetrator of reckless driving? For now, the answer lies trapped in the black box of a wrecked supercar.
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