Mihir Shah admits driving the BMW, evades probe on inebriation

23-year-old Mihir Shah remanded to police custody till July 16 after hit-and-run incident involving a BMW car in Mumbai. Family members questioned and released

MUMBAI: After his arrest from Virar on Tuesday for allegedly ramming his BMW car into a scooter, injuring the rider and killing his wife who was riding pillion, on Sunday morning, a metropolitan magistrate court in Dadar remanded 23-year-old Mihir Shah to police custody till July 16, on Wednesday.

Mihir Shah, the main accused in the Worli BMW hit-and-run case, was produced before the Sewri court on Wednesday. (Raju Shinde/HT Photo)

Officials from Worli police station probing the hit-and-run case said the accused son of Shiv Sena’s functionary from Palghar, Rajesh Shah, admitted that he was driving the car at the time of the accident, but evaded crucial questions about being inebriated at the time. He claimed he left the car at Kala Nagar and fled from the spot fearing public fury, said a police officer. Likewise, family members also said they left their homes fearing public assault. He added, although no other member of the Shah family has been arrested yet, Mihir’s mother, sisters and two others were detained for questioning and released on Tuesday.

Mihir crashed his BMW car into a scooter which was being driven by Pradeep Nakhwa, 50, with his wife Kaveri, 45, riding pillion. While Pradeep escaped with a few injuries, Kaveri, who was caught between one of the tyres and bumper, was dragged for almost 2.5 kilometers, following which Mihir’s driver Rajrishi Bidawat took over the wheel and ran over the deceased once again while reversing.

“Soon after the incident, Bidawat narrated the incident to Rajesh Shah, who asked him to take responsibility and urged Mihir to flee from the spot. Their car broke down near Kala Nagar, Bandra. By the time Shah reached the spot he found Bidawat seated in the broken-down car,” said a police officer. The two were then nabbed by Worli police.

After fleeing from the spot, Mihir changed locations multiple times and was apprehended by the crime branch on Tuesday afternoon. When he was produced before the Dadar court, police sought Mihir’s custody remand, claiming that he tried to mislead the police by trimming his hair and grooming his beard.

“We have to seize the number plate of the BMW which we suspect the accused Mihir, and the driver Bidawat have destroyed. We also need to seize his mobile phone. We need to find the people the accused had called and those who helped him flee. He has trimmed his hair and chopped his beard. He has to take the police to the barber so that his statement can be recorded. He has been telling us that he has a driving licence, however, we have not got the same from him. We have also written to the RTO to check his licence and inspect the vehicle,” said public prosecutor Ravindra Patil.

Referencing the way the deceased was dragged by the luxury car, Patil said, “We have also confronted Bidawat and Shah about the trail of incidents. There are discrepancies in their statements which need to be verified. We also need to check in whose name the vehicle was registered.”

Opposing the plea, Mihir’s lawyer Ayush Pasbola argued: “There is nothing more to recover, as both the car and CCTV footages are with the police. The remand application doesn’t specify the need for custody.” Pasbola referenced article 22 of the Indian Constitution that states arrested persons need to be furnished with reasons for being in custody. “It is not clear why there is a need for custody – they have been confronted and everything is aligned. Most of the investigation is complete by now. There is nothing else to tamper with. Mihir’s blood samples have been taken to JJ hospital,” said Pasbola.

A senior officer at Worli police station also underlined that “several contradictory statements need to be verified and Mihir must be confronted with available evidence such as statements from the witnesses and other technical evidence such as the CCTV footage from the Juhu bar where he had partied with his friends and call records”.

The officer added statements of 14 people, including three eyewitnesses, have been recorded.