Kanpur: The high profile Lamborghini hit and run case in Kanpur took a sharp U turn on Wednesday, throwing the courtroom into a scene of sudden drama. A man claiming to be the driver surrendered before the court, the injured complainant announced a compromise, and the defence sought release of the seized supercar. The court, however, refused to accept the new version and stuck to the police case, rejecting the plea and keeping the Lamborghini in police custody.
Shivam Mishra, son of a prominent businessman of Kanpur and owner’s son of the Lamborghini, was initially identified by the police as the person driving the car when it ran over six people on VIP Road on Sunday. He was named in the FIR after the Police Commissioner said CCTV footage, eyewitness accounts and electronic evidence pointed to him being behind the wheel at the time of the crash.
The dramatic twist unfolded when Mohan appeared before the court with his lawyer and claimed that he, not Shivam Mishra, was driving the car at the time of the accident. He told the court that Shivam had suffered a medical episode and that he panicked after the crash. According to him, when the window was broken and the door was forced open, bouncers pulled Shivam out of the car and took him away in another vehicle, while he slipped away in the confusion.
The defence then produced the injured complainant Mohammad Tausif, who told the court that he had reached a compromise with the driver and identified Mohan as the person driving the Lamborghini. He also said that he did not want to pursue further action in the case. The sudden change in the complainant’s stand added to the courtroom drama, drawing comparisons with scenes from the film Jolly LLB, which was inspired by the 1999 Sanjeev Nanda Porsche hit and run case in Delhi.
District Government Counsel Dilip Awasthi opposed the claims and told the court that the police investigation clearly names Shivam Mishra as the accused driver and that Mohan does not figure anywhere in the case diary. He said the police have submitted all evidence, including CCTV footage, eyewitness statements and electronic records. The court agreed with the prosecution and rejected Mohan’s plea, saying it could not accept a new accused when the police report names Shivam Mishra.
Also Watch:
Police said the Lamborghini had mowed down six people and that a video of the incident had gone viral. Investigators have placed before the court CCTV footage from the area, statements of more than 10 eyewitnesses and mobile location data of Shivam Mishra, all of which, according to police, show that he was the lone occupant and the driver at the time of the crash.
Police have also cited a video recorded immediately after the accident in which bouncers from a vehicle following the Lamborghini are seen breaking the window with a brick, forcing open the door and pulling Shivam out from the driver’s seat before taking him to hospital. Investigators said the footage shows there was no other person inside the car, undercutting the claim that a separate driver was present.
