Mihir Shah, the accused in the Mumbai BMW hit-and-run case, was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days by a metropolitan magistrate for the fatal accident in Worli on July 7. The accident killed Kaveri Nakhwa, 45, and left her husband Pradip badly injured when Shah’s BMW rammed the two-wheeler from behind on Annie Besant Road at around 5:30 am.
Shah, son of Shiv Sena politician Rajesh Shah, went underground for three days before being traced to Virar, about 65 km from Mumbai. The breakthrough came when one of Shah’s friends briefly switched on his mobile phone, enabling the police to track Shah’s location.
He was first remanded to seven days of police custody. Shah reportedly withheld information about his actions after the accident, like discarding the number plate of the vehicle and shaving his beard and cutting his hair to change his appearance to avoid detection.
Shah told investigating officers that he is a habitual drinker. The license of a bar in Mumbai was temporarily suspended for allegedly serving him before he rammed his car into people sleeping on the pavement.
The case also includes charges against Shah’s father and their family chauffeur, Rajrishi Bidawat, who reportedly helped Shah escape. Police say Bidawat exchanged seats with Shah on the instructions of Rajesh Shah, and they further caused hurt to Nakhwa by reversing the car and dragging her for nearly 1.5 kilometers.
The prosecution pleaded for extended time for remand to investigate people who sheltered Shah during the absconding period, as it still works on recovering vital evidence, including the missing number plate of the vehicle.
With investigation still on, the case has started getting wide public eyeballs, exposing a multitude of issues related to accountability and delivery of justice in high-profile criminal cases where the involved are some big guns.
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