New Delhi, February 10 The Kanpur Lamborghini crash, which injured several pedestrians, has brought attention back to a recurring defense in luxury car accident cases – blaming the crash on a hired driver.
In this case as well, the family of the alleged perpetrator claimed that a chauffeur was driving the vehicle, even though police said CCTV footage, eyewitness accounts, and other evidence clearly showed Shivam Mishra, the son of a tobacco baron, behind the wheel.
Similar cases involving disputed driver identities have emerged in other high-profile incidents, including the most widely reported hit-and-run case involving Bollywood superstar Salman Khan in September 2002.
Here are some prominent incidents:
* Pune, Maharashtra (2024): A Porsche, allegedly driven by a 17-year-old, killed two IT professionals in Pune's upscale Kalyani Nagar on May 19, 2024. Police said the family attempted to portray the driver as the person behind the wheel and that he was pressured to take responsibility. The minor's father and grandfather were later arrested in connection with alleged tampering with evidence.
* New Delhi (2016): A hit-and-run case in Delhi's Civil Lines area on April 4, 2016, led to the death of a 32-year-old IT professional after a Mercedes, allegedly driven by a minor, hit him. Shortly after the incident, the family's chauffeur approached the police, claiming he was driving the car at the time of the accident.
However, during questioning, the driver allegedly told investigators that he had been pressured to take responsibility. Police subsequently relied on forensic and circumstantial evidence and detained the minor, concluding that he was behind the wheel when the crash occurred.
* Mumbai (2002): One of India's most widely discussed road-accident cases involved actor Salman Khan, whose Toyota Land Cruiser rammed into people sleeping on a pavement in Mumbai's Bandra area on September 28, 2002, killing one person and injuring four others. During the investigation and trial, questions over who was driving the vehicle became central to the case. Later, after several years, in 2015, Khan's driver told a court that he was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident.
Prosecutors, however, argued that evidence showed Khan was behind the wheel and termed the driver a "self-condemned liar". In 2015, the Bombay High Court acquitted Khan, giving him the benefit of doubt after noting inconsistencies in the prosecution's evidence.
* Delhi (1999): On January 10, 1999, a BMW car ran over and killed six people, including three policemen, at Lodhi Road in Delhi. During the investigation, attempts were made to suggest that someone else – not the accused businessman Sanjeev Nanda – was driving the vehicle. The case later hinged on witness testimony and forensic evidence. In 2008, Nanda was convicted by the trial court.
