Even as Kanpur Police dismissed the claim of Banshidhar Exports Pvt Ltd owner K.K. Mishra’s son Shivam Mishra’s lawyer that his client was not behind the wheel of the luxury sports car when it rammed into pedestrians, the father himself came out defending his son, claiming that the Lamborghini Revuelto, which was being driven by a driver, malfunctioned, leading to the accident.
According to media reports, the senior Mishra claimed that the car was driven by Mohan, a designated driver employed by the family, and that during the drive, his son felt dizzy. He said this was when the bouncers accompanying Shivam broke open the driver’s seat and pulled him out.
The family has already claimed that Shivam has been suffering from epilepsy.
He further claimed that Shivam’s condition started getting worse and that by the time he reached home, he was unconscious. He claimed that Shivam was soon taken to a hospital, where he was undergoing treatment.
He accused the police of harassing them and added that his son is unwell and that their car is damaged. “He (Shivam) had gone out only to check the vehicle along with the driver. The driver was driving the car,” the senior Mishra was quoted as saying, adding that the family will fully cooperate with the investigation.
Urging authorities to treat the incident as an accident rather than a criminal offence, Shivam’s lawyer had said, “The car was being driven by the driver, not by Shivam Mishra. We will present the facts and evidence before the court.”
Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police Raghubir Lal told news agency PTI that available evidence and eyewitness statements corroborate that Shivam was behind the wheel.
“An FIR may sometimes contain incorrect or incomplete details initially. During the investigation, Shivam Mishra’s involvement was confirmed through evidence, CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts,” Lal has been quoted as saying.
Senior officers also referred to videos from the spot, which appear to show bystanders and rescuers pulling a man believed to be Mishra out of the driver’s seat immediately after the impact.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Atul Kumar Srivastava said CCTV footage from the site identifies the person pulled out of the vehicle as Mishra. “What an advocate argues in court does not affect our investigation. If the court seeks any clarification, all facts will be placed before it,” the DCP further said.
