Mumbai BMW crash: Police arrest main accused Mihir Shah after 2 days

Mihir Shah, the absconding accused in the BMW hit-and-run case and son of a Shiv Sena politician, was arrested on Tuesday, 9 July by Mumbai Police, two days after he allegedly rammed his luxury car into a two-wheeler, killing a woman and injuring her husband.

Mihir, 24, who managed to evade the police since Sunday morning, 7 July was arrested from Virar near Mumbai, a senior police official said.

Mihir's mother and two sisters were brought to Mumbai for questioning from Shahapur in Thane district. They are being quizzed along with 10 others, the official added.

The police stated that Mihir Shah's politician father Rajesh Shah actively ensured his son's escape and had plans to tow away the BMW car after the accident.

In a related development, the state Excise Department has sealed a bar in the Juhu area of Mumbai visited by Mihir and his friends on Saturday night, hours before he allegedly took the wheel of the car involved in the crash, an official said.

The bar manager had served hard liquor to Mihir, who is yet to complete 24 years of age, violating Maharashtra's legal drinking age of 25, he said.

The action to seal the bar was taken on the orders of the district collector for violation of rules, the excise department official said.

Preliminary investigations showed that the luxury car driven by Mihir rammed into a two-wheeler from behind in the Worli area on Sunday morning, resulting in the death of Kaveri Nakhwa (45), who was riding pillion, while her husband Pradeep survived with injuries.

Kaveri Nakhwa was dragged for around 1.5 km by the speeding car before Mihir pulled it over, swapped the seat with his driver, and fled in another vehicle, according to police.

Following the crash, Mumbai Police formed 11 teams and enlisted the Crime Branch to apprehend Mihir. A Look Out Circular (LOC) had also been issued against him, the official said.

A Mumbai court on Tuesday extended until July 11 the police custody of Rajesh Shah's driver, Rajrishi Bidawat, in the hit-and-run case. Bidawat was sitting in the luxury car with Mihir at the time of the crash. Rajesh Shah is currently out on bail.

Chilling details of the accident emerged in CCTV footage produced by police in the court on Monday, 8 July.

The footage shows Kaveri Nakhwa being dragged by the BMW car for 1.5 kilometres before the car stopped. Mihir and Bidawat pulled the woman off the bonnet, placed her on the road, and swapped seats. While reversing the car, Bidawat ran over the victim before fleeing.

"After she was dragged from Worli, Mihir and Bidawat stopped the car just before BWSL and removed the woman who had got entangled in the vehicle's tyre. Bidawat then took the driver's seat and ran the car over the victim while reversing. They then fled," an official said.

Earlier, the opposition had slammed the Maharashtra government over the rise in hit-and-run accidents in the state.

Questions were also raised over the alleged delay in the arrest of Mihir even more than 48 hours had passed after the accident.

Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena head Eknath Shinde had asserted no one would be spared in the case.

"No one, whether rich, influential, or the offspring of bureaucrats or ministers, affiliated with any party, will have immunity as long as I am the chief minister," Shinde had said.