Mumbai BMW crash: How did Mumbai Police track down Mihir Shah

Mumbai Police succeeded in hunting down Mihir Shah, accused in the BMW hit-and-run case and son of a Shiv Sena politician, after two days of painstaking probe when his friend made the mistake of switching on his mobile phone only for 15 minutes.

Mihir, 24, who had managed to evade the police since the accident on Sunday morning, was finally arrested from Virar near Mumbai.

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

As per the police, Mihir Shah then fled from Kala Nagar area leaving his car and driver behind in an auto rickshaw, and reached his woman friend's residence in suburban Goregaon.

The friend called Mihir's sister, who reached Goregaon, and took both Mihir and his friend to her Borivali residence, a senior police official said.

The Shah family then decided to flee to a resort at Shahapur in Thane district in an Audi car. Mihir, his mother Meena, sisters Kinjal and Pooja and two friends stayed at the resort.

After learning the identity of one of the friends accompanying Mihir, Mumbai Police tracked his number, but this friend too had switched off his mobile phone, the official said.

On late Monday evening, Mihir along with his friend left the Shahapur resort and reached Virar, where his friend switched on his mobile phone for 15 minutes, he said.

Police immediately tracked down the mobile tower location and intercepted the duo, the official added.

As to Mihir's movements prior to the accident, the official said that after partying with friends at a bar in the Juhu area, Mihir Shah left with his driver for South Mumbai in the early hours.

He was spotted in Marine Drive area around 4.30 am, driving the BMW car. Driver Rajrushi Bidawat was sitting next to him.

As the vehicle reached Worli, the car hit the two-wheeler, killing Kaveri Nakhwa.