Mumbai BMW hit-and-run case: Mihir Shah admitted to driving car during the time of accident, says police

Mihir Shah, the prime accused in the Mumbai BMW hit-and-run case, admitted to police that he was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash. After crashing into the couple’s scooter on the morning of July 7, Shah was aware that the woman was stuck in one of the tyres of the luxury car, but still drove recklessly and did not stop despite motorists frantically signalling and asking him to stop, an official said. 

The 24-year-old accused, who is in police custody till July 16, has claimed he possesses a driving licence, but the document was yet to be recovered, he said. So far, the statements of 14 persons, including Mihir Shah’s mother, sisters and friends, have been recorded. 

Mihir Shah’s father Rajesh Shah, a Shiv Sena politician from adjoining Palghar district, is also an accused in the case and currently out on bail. 

Police are likely to visit the crash spot in Worli area of south-central Mumbai and re-construct the entire crime scene as part of their investigation, he said. 

Police arrested Mihir Shah on July 9 from neighbouring Thane district, two days after he allegedly rammed his BMW car into a two-wheeler, killing Kaveri Nakhwa (45), who was riding pillion, and injuring her husband, Pradeep. 

The incident was captured in CCTV cameras at Mela Junction and Bindu Madhav Thackeray Chowk in Worli. 

Shah shaved his beard and trimmed his hair to conceal identity another official said, adding they were trying to find out if anyone helped him in changing his appearance. 

Mihir Shah is not cooperating in the investigation, said an official. Police have booked him for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, among other charges. After the accident, the prime accused, his family members, who stay in Mumbai’s Borivali area, and his grandfather, who resides in Palghar, left their respective homes and remained untraceable. 

Police will bring Rajrishi Bidawat, the family chauffeur, and Mihir Shah face-to-face to get more information about the crash and to know the entire sequence of events, the official said. Bidawat, who was accompanying Mihir Shah at the time of the crash, is also an accused in the case. 

According to a Times of India report, excise officials alleged that Mihir and his two friends drank 12 large pegs of whiskey — four large pegs each — at the bar they visited before the incident. They said the bill generated shows that the 24-year-old and his friends had 12 pegs, which can keep a person intoxicated for eight hours. 

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, ordered Rajesh Shah’s removal from his party position. “The government will not support any culprit in this case. We stand with the family of the victim. The government will provide any financial support the family needs,” Shinde said. 

(With inputs from PTI)