Worli hit-and-run: Mihir Shah remanded to judicial custody

Worli hit-and-run case: Accused Mihir Shah remanded to judicial custody for 14 days despite new charges; police seek extension denied.

MUMBAI: A metropolitan magistrate court in Dadar on Tuesday rejected the Worli police’s request to extend the police custody remand of Mihir Shah, the accused in the Worli hit-and-run case. Shah has been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days, despite the police adding new penal sections of the Motor Vehicles Act against him. Shah’s luxury sedan was found to have illegal black film on its windows, and its Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate and insurance had expired.

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Public prosecutors Ravindra Patil and Bharti Bhosale, representing the state, argued that they had not yet recovered the number plate of the luxury sedan, which was allegedly destroyed by Shah. “We have made progress in the investigation and have recovered the clothes used during the crime, as well as empty beer cans found at Worli Sea Face. We have also found his driving license. The accused fled after the incident. We need to determine who harboured him and helped him flee, and which vehicle he used to escape. He cut his hair and changed his appearance. The statement of the barber from Nallasopara has been recorded,” the public prosecutors told the court. They also mentioned that Shah has not cooperated with the investigators and is trying to mislead them.

Advocate Ayush Pasbola, representing Shah, argued that the police had already recorded statements from around 27 witnesses. “He has shown them the spot, they have seized everything, and they know he paid the barber ₹100 for a haircut. Only the number plate is yet to be recovered, which they have been arguing since the first remand and have been seeking remand on the same grounds. Shah was arrested on July 9 and has been in police custody since then,” Pasbola told the court. He added that sufficient time had been given to recover the articles and, therefore, the court should reject further remand pleas.

After hearing both sides, the court remanded Shah to judicial custody until July 30.

Meanwhile, the police have applied Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, rule 100 for using tinted glasses, and rule 115 (7) for the expired PUC certificate. They have also applied section 146 of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, for the necessity of insurance against third-party risks, as BMW’s insurance policy expired on May 16, 2024.