Father and lawyer say Shivam wasn’t driving; police counter with evidence

Kanpur: The investigation into the high-profile Lamborghini crash took a contentious turn on Tuesday after tobacco baron’s son Shivam Mishra’s lawyer claimed that his client was not driving the luxury sports car when it rammed into pedestrians on VIP Road, even as police said CCTV footage, eyewitness accounts and other evidence clearly place him behind the wheel.

His father, K K Mishra, who owns Banshidhar Exports Pvt Ltd, also made similar claims before the media and alleged that his son was being implicated in the case.

“My son was not driving. He was asleep. Our driver Mohan was driving the car,” he told mediapersons outside Gwaltoli police station.

Earlier, Shivam’s counsel, Mrityunjay Kumar, also told the reporters the same version.

“The car was being driven by the driver, not by Shivam Mishra. We will present the facts and evidence before the court,” Kumar said, urging authorities to treat the incident as an accident rather than a criminal offence.

K K Mishra, while speaking to reporters, also ruled out the over-speeding angle and asserted that his son was not drunk. “No one drinks (alcohol) in our family,” the tobacco baron said.

On Monday, as speculation swirled that Shivam may have been inebriated, his family stepped in to say that he has been suffering from epilepsy.

K K Mishra further said that Shivam is unwell and currently admitted to a hospital in Delhi. He assured that both he and his son would cooperate with the investigation once his health improves.

When asked about Kanpur Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal’s statement that CCTV footage and other evidence indicated Shivam was driving, Mishra dismissed the claim as incorrect. The Mishra family had been in the news earlier, too. In 2024, the I-T department reportedly conducted multiple raids on the company over tax-related issues.