Kanpur Court Rejects Driver's Surrender in High-Profile Lamborghini Crash Case
In a significant development in the widely publicized Lamborghini car crash case, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (VII) of Kanpur Nagar, Amit Singh, on Wednesday dismissed the surrender application filed by Shivam Mishra's driver. The court ruled that the tobacco baron's son remains the primary accused according to the police investigation report.
Court Cites FIR and Investigation in Dismissal
The ACJM (VII) explicitly stated that since the driver, Mohan Lal, is not mentioned anywhere in the First Information Report (FIR), his application could not be accepted. Consequently, the luxury vehicle will remain impounded at the police station.
"The applicant was neither named in FIR, nor his name cropped up in the police investigation. Therefore, his application has no merit and is liable to be dismissed," Magistrate Singh declared during the hearing.
Dual Petitions and Prosecution Opposition
Two separate petitions were presented before the court of ACJM (VII) on Tuesday. While the driver sought judicial custody, the car owner, Shivam Mishra, applied for the release of the Rs 10 crore Lamborghini.
The prosecution, represented by District Government Counsel (Criminal) Dilip Awasthi and Public Prosecutor Nagendra Kumar Mishra, strongly opposed the driver's bail application. They emphasized that Mohan Lal was neither named in the FIR nor identified as the accused during the ongoing investigation.
Vehicle Release Denied and Cooperation Ordered
The court also rejected the request to release the accident-involved Lamborghini, referencing the police report. Public Prosecutor Mishra informed the court that the police had registered an FIR alleging the car caused injuries, with evidence indicating Shivam was behind the wheel.
Furthermore, the public prosecutor urged the court to direct Shivam to cooperate with the investigation and provide relevant documents, noting his lack of cooperation in the technical examination of the high-end vehicle.
While holding the vehicle release application, the court issued a directive for Shivam to fully cooperate with the investigation. He must provide all necessary documents to the police to facilitate the technical examination of the car in accordance with legal procedures.
The court observed that the application for vehicle release would only be considered after the submission of the technical examination report. The ACJM additionally instructed the police to complete this examination and submit their findings before the court on Friday.
Legal Arguments and Police Counterclaims
Earlier in the proceedings, Shivam's lawyer, Narendra Kumar Yadav, argued that the injured party, Mohd Tausif, had settled with the driver and identified Mohan Lal as the person driving the vehicle at the time of the accident. Yadav claimed Tausif no longer wishes to pursue the case further.
However, Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal countered these claims, explaining that the FIR initially omitted the driver's name because the identity of the person operating the vehicle was unclear. He stated that evidence gathered so far, including CCTV footage and eyewitness statements, confirms Shivam was driving the luxury car.
Details of the Chaotic Accident
The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon in the Gwal Toli police station area of Kanpur. The Lamborghini, allegedly traveling at high speed, triggered chaos on a busy stretch by ramming into a parked motorcycle and an autorickshaw.
The vehicle, bearing a Delhi registration, first collided with an autorickshaw. Following the initial impact, the car reportedly accelerated further, lost control near a turn, and struck a parked motorcycle owned by Arya Nagar resident Vishal Tripathi, who was standing nearby conversing with someone.
In the ensuing chaos, at least six people sustained injuries, including Chaman Ganj Ghosiyana resident Taufiq, who was hurt while attempting to escape the speeding vehicle. Witnesses reported the car mounted the motorcycle's front wheel, dragged it for some distance, and ultimately hit an electric pole before coming to a halt.
Emerging Evidence and Eyewitness Accounts
New CCTV footage emerged on Tuesday, showing Shivam's bouncers exiting a black SUV and rushing towards the Lamborghini to extract the driver from the car. Multiple videos from the incident site and eyewitness testimonies indicate Shivam was driving the Rs 10 crore Lamborghini Revuelto at the time of the crash.
The case continues to develop as the police investigation progresses and the court awaits the technical examination report, which will play a crucial role in determining the final outcome of this high-profile legal matter.
