In a statement on Tuesday, the lawyer representing Ricky Rai, son of late underworld figure Muthappa Rai, denied that his client was driving the Lamborghini that was seen performing drifting maneuvers in a widely circulated video from central Bengaluru, days after police seized the luxury car and sent a notice to Rai asking him to appear for questioning.
The video, which was widely circulated on social media, shows a high-end car making repeated turns and sharp turns at Anil Kumble Circle on March 21. The footage prompted the Cubbon Park traffic police to register a moto case and confiscate the car.
Authorities initially suspected Ray was driving the car. However, his lawyer Narayana Swamy rejected the claim, stating that the car had been given for maintenance and was being driven by a driver at the time.
“First, there was no disturbance; on that day, there were no people on the road. The car was serviced, and the driver picked it up. Many claimed that Ricky Ray was driving the car, but that is wrong; he was not driving the car, he was the driver. I ask you all not to say that Ricky was driving the car. I will not deny that he was in the car, but this was not done on purpose.”
The lawyer described the driver as “talented”, saying that what appeared to be a deliberate swerve was in fact a loss of control on a section of the newly paved road. He said: “When he pressed the brakes, the car skidded because the road was freshly paved. There is nothing major about this. The driver regained control of the car immediately. It happened by mistake.”
Rai had earlier appeared before the traffic police in Cubbon Park and submitted documents related to the vehicle. The police also requested confirmation of ownership details from the regional transport office. Officials said it remains unclear who was driving the vehicle at the time.
But police officers took the incident seriously. According to investigators, surveillance footage shows the Lamborghini making multiple passes and performing spin drifts between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m., sometimes in traffic.
Western Traffic Police Deputy Commissioner Sahil Bagla said, “CCTV footage clearly shows the car repeatedly drifting at the intersection. Such actions are very dangerous and pose a serious threat to public safety.”
“We have reviewed the CCTV footage and the drift was recorded. We are verifying the ownership of the car. Such stunts are illegal on Bengaluru roads and will not be tolerated,” he added.
“We will not only impose penalties, but also recommend cancellation of the vehicle registration certificate (RC),” the DSP warned.
An FIR has been registered for rash and negligent driving, and investigators are working to identify the person driving the car using CCTV footage and other evidence. The driver reportedly fled the scene after the accident and was arrested by a passerby.
Ricky Ray, who was issued with a notice, appeared before the traffic police at Cubbon Park and submitted documents related to the vehicle. The police also requested confirmation of ownership details from the regional transport office. Officials said it remains unclear who was driving the car at the time.
Rai’s father, Muthappa Rai, was a prominent figure in the Karnataka underworld before later moving into business and social work. He rose to prominence in Bengaluru’s criminal networks in the late 1980s and was linked to several cases, including the 1990 murder of his rival Don MP Jayaraj, although he was acquitted in several cases due to lack of evidence.
In a separate incident last year, Ricky Rai was injured in a shooting near his residence in Bidadi while he was heading towards Bengaluru. He survived the attack and was treated in hospital while police investigated the case.
