A Lamborghini that had been parked at Gwaltoli police station for 20 days after a high-profile crash on VIP Road was released early on Saturday following a court order.
Around 1:30 am, the black luxury car rolled out of the police station compound under dim streetlights. It had been seized on February 7 after allegedly knocking down three persons on VIP Road.
The vehicle, owned by Shivam Mishra, son of tobacco businessman KK Mishra, was driven to the family’s residence in Arya Nagar after formalities were completed.
Earlier on Friday, chief judicial magistrate (CJM) Suraj Mishra allowed an application seeking the car’s release, subject to conditions. The matter had earlier seen two judges recuse themselves before it reached the CJM’s court.
The court directed that the Lamborghini be released on furnishing a surety bond of ₹8.30 crore along with an undertaking, defence counsel Dharmendra Singh Dharmu said. Documents of another vehicle of equivalent value were submitted as surety.
The court imposed strict conditions. The owner cannot sell or transfer the car, nor can its colour, engine number or chassis number be altered. The vehicle must be produced before the court or the investigating officer whenever required, at the owner’s expense. Any breach would lead to forfeiture of the surety amount. If deficiencies are found during verification, an additional surety must be furnished.
The case has also seen a dispute over who was driving at the time of the accident. A driver, Mohan Lal Jat, filed a surrender application claiming he was behind the wheel and not Shivam. Police, however, told the court that Shivam was driving. The court rejected the surrender plea.
Shivam was later arrested and produced before the court three days after the crash. Police sought judicial custody, but the plea was turned down on technical grounds, resulting in his release. With the vehicle now back with its owner, the investigation into the February 7 accident is ongoing.
