Kanpur Lamborghini crash: Tobacco tycoon’s son Shivam Mishra back in spotlight after 2024 I-T raids

A high-speed crash involving a Lamborghini Revuelto on a busy Kanpur road on Sunday afternoon has once again thrust Shivam Mishra, son of prominent tobacco businessman K K Mishra, into the public spotlight.  

At least six people were injured when the luxury sports car rammed into pedestrians and vehicles on VIP Road near Rev-3 Mall in the upscale Gwaltoli area around 3:15 pm. The impact triggered chaos on the crowded commercial stretch, drawing an angry crowd and prompting swift police action.  

According to police officials, the Lamborghini — valued at nearly ₹10 crore — lost control and hit an auto-rickshaw, a parked motorcycle and several bystanders before crashing into an electric pole. One of the injured, Taufiq Ahmed, was reportedly standing beside his motorcycle when he was struck and thrown several metres, suffering serious leg injuries. Another two-wheeler rider was flung nearly 10 feet into the air due to the force of the collision.  

Witnesses alleged that Mishra attempted to flee the scene instead of stopping to help the injured. Locals further claimed that private bouncers travelling in another vehicle tried to shield him and behaved aggressively with onlookers. The situation escalated rapidly, with an enraged crowd smashing the Lamborghini’s windows and pulling Mishra out of the car before police intervened.  

Police have seized the Delhi-registered Lamborghini, registered in Rohini, North West Delhi, and are in the process of registering an FIR against the driver.  

A familiar name in controversy  

This is not the first time Shivam Mishra has found himself at the centre of public attention. In 2024, he emerged into national focus after the Income Tax Department launched a large-scale investigation into Banshidhar Exports Pvt Ltd, part of the Kanpur-based Banshidhar Tobacco Group.  

The probe spanned multiple states, with searches conducted at offices in Kanpur, Mumbai, Delhi and Gujarat. The investigation was reportedly triggered by discrepancies between the company’s declared income and its actual turnover. While the firm declared an annual income of ₹20-25 crore, officials estimated its turnover to be in the range of ₹100-150 crore.  

During the raids, tax officials confiscated ₹4.5 crore in cash initially, followed by seizures of cash, jewellery and other assets worth nearly ₹7 crore in subsequent searches.  

As per media reports, Mishra lives in Delhi’s Vasant Vihar and is known for an extravagant lifestyle, including a fleet of luxury cars collectively valued at around ₹50 crore, all bearing the same number plate — ‘4018’.  

Heir to a tobacco empire  

The Mishra family heads one of India’s major tobacco suppliers. K K Mishra leads the Kanpur-based Banshidhar Tobacco Group, a key raw-material supplier to several leading pan masala and tobacco brands. Founded nearly 90 years ago, the group is among Kanpur’s oldest industrial houses and has built a significant footprint across Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Mumbai and Gujarat.  

In recent years, Shivam Mishra has assumed a central role in the group’s operations and is widely seen as the face of its current management. He is involved in strategic decisions related to expansion, production and national growth.  

Alongside his business role, Mishra is known for a luxury-heavy personal profile. Reports have linked him to ownership of multiple high-end vehicles, including Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche and Lamborghini, along with diamond jewellery and premium watches valued at several crores.