BMW hit-and-run case accused Mihir Shah arrested after 3 days
What's the story
Mihir Shah—the main accused in the Mumbai BMW hit-and-run case—was arrested on Tuesday, after being on the run for three days. Mihir—son of Rajesh Shah, leader of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena—allegedly drove the luxury car that hit a two-wheeler in Worli on Sunday, killing a 45-year-old woman and injuring her husband. Police teams finally arrested him from an apartment in Virar—about 65km from Mumbai. He will now be taken to the Worli Police Station.
Incident recap
Woman dragged for over a km by speeding vehicle
The incident took place early Sunday morning. The deceased was identified as 45-year-old Kaveri Nakhwa, who was riding pillion on a scooter with her husband Pradip Nakhwa from Mazagaon Docks to Worli Koliwada. The impact of the collision threw both riders onto the car's bonnet. While Pradip managed to jump off, Kaveri was dragged for about 1km by the fleeing car and was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.
In court
Woman ran over twice to mislead investigation, says police
Police told the court on Monday that Mihir allegedly switched seats with his driver after dragging the victim on the car's bonnet for nearly one-and-a-half kilometers. The driver, Rajrishi Bidawat, then reversed the vehicle and ran over the woman again before fleeing. According to the police, this was an attempt to mislead the investigation.
Family involvement
Several others arrested
Notably, several other people have been arrested along with Mihir, though the exact number and whether his mother and sister—who allegedly helped him hide—have also been arrested is unclear. Mihir's father, who was arrested late Sunday morning, secured bail within hours by paying a ₹15,000 bond. The only remaining accused in custody is Bidawat, the driver allegedly forced to let Mihir drive the BMW. Bidawat has been remanded to police custody until Thursday.
Arrests made
Bidawat only one in car when police arrived
According to police, Mihir had fled the scene leaving Bidawat behind in the BMW. Reports said that Mihir and Bidawat had fled via the Sea Link to Bandra where their car broke down. They allegedly tried to alter the vehicle's registration number and other stickers before Mihir escaped from the scene. Bidawat remained at the spot.
After accident
Rajesh's involvement in the case
Rajesh arrived at the scene later and informed Bidawat that he had arranged for a tow vehicle. However, police reached the location before the tow vehicle and arrested both Rajesh and Bidawat. A police officer stated that Bidawat confessed to them that Mihir had instructed him to take responsibility for the incident. Further investigation in the case is underway.