Hit and run at BMW in Mumbai: Accused Mihir Shah drank alcohol twice and “forced” the family chauffeur to let him drive

Mumbai Police have found that the main accused in the hit-and-run case, Mihir Shah, had consumed alcohol twice before the accident in Worli area that killed a 45-year-old woman. They said he pushed the family chauffeur Rajrishi Bidawat, also an accused in the case, from the driver’s seat and drove the BMW himself.

According to police investigation, Mihir drank alcohol again between Borivali and Malad after leaving a bar in Juhu – where he and his two friends allegedly drank 12 large glasses of whisky. He forced Bidawat from the driver’s seat and started driving the car himself, police said.

Earlier, the main accused in the case had also told the police that he was driving the car when the accident occurred and then dragged the victim, Kaveri Nakhwa, out of the car, which led to her death.

According to a report by Indian TimesCustoms officials claimed that Mihir and his two friends had consumed 12 large glasses of whiskey – four large glasses per person – at the bar they had visited before the incident. They said the bill produced showed that the 24-year-old and his friends had consumed 12 glasses, which can keep a person drunk for eight hours.

Sources in the tax department said the accident occurred within four hours (at 5 am) after Mihir and his friends left the bar at 1.30 am on July 7. The state tax department has cancelled the license of a bar in Juhu – Vice-Global Tapas Bar – which was serving liquor to Mihir, who is not even 25, the legal drinking age.

A report published by NDTV said Mihir allegedly used a fake ID showing his age as 27, two years over the legal drinking age. However, according to official records, his age is 24. The bar management claimed that he showed them a fake ID to gain entry while his friends accompanying him were above 30 years of age. Customs sources also pointed out other irregularities at the bar, which is run as Don Giovanni Restaurant, Jobel Hospitalities Pvt Ltd, including the sale of alcohol to owners without liquor license in unapproved areas, officials claimed.

Following the Porsche accident in Pune that killed two software developers in their early 20s, at least 60 bars across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) were closed for five to ten days for staying open past closing hours, serving alcohol to minors and not giving their patrons a day-long drinking permit.

The case so far

Mihir, who is in police custody until July 16, admitted that he was behind the wheel at the time of the accident. He then claimed that he had a driving license, but the police have not yet recovered the document.

Officials said the statements of 14 people, including Mihir’s mother, sisters and friends, have been recorded so far. Police are likely to visit the accident site in Worli as part of their investigation and reconstruct the entire crime scene, they said.

His father Rajesh Shah, a Shiv Sena leader from neighbouring Palghar district, is also an accused in the case and is currently out on bail. Mihir was arrested from Thane district on July 9, two days after the accident.

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An official said that after Mihir collided with the couple’s scooter, he was well aware that the woman was stuck in one of the car’s tires, but he continued driving recklessly and did not stop despite passing motorists frantically signaling and shouting for him to stop.

The horrific accident was captured by CCTV cameras at Mela Junction and Bindu Madhav Thackeray Chowk in Worli. After crossing Bindu Madhav Thackeray Chowk, other motorists asked Mihir to stop but he did not listen to them and continued driving, the official said.

After the accident, Mihir, his family members, who live in suburban Borivali, and his grandfather, who lives in Palghar, left their respective homes and remained untraceable. To conceal his identity, he shaved his beard and cut his hair.

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Police have charged Mihir with wilful murder, among other charges. They will personally meet him and Rajrishi Bidawat – the family’s chauffeur, who is also an accused in the case – to get more information about the accident and to know the entire sequence of events, the official added.

(With PTI inputs)

An official said that after Mihir collided with the couple’s scooter, he was well aware that the woman was stuck in one of the car’s tires, but he continued driving recklessly and did not stop despite passing motorists frantically signaling and shouting for him to stop.

The horrific accident was captured by CCTV cameras at Mela Junction and Bindu Madhav Thackeray Chowk in Worli. After crossing Bindu Madhav Thackeray Chowk, other motorists asked Mihir to stop but he did not listen to them and continued driving, the official said.

After the accident, Mihir, his family members, who live in suburban Borivali, and his grandfather, who lives in Palghar, left their respective homes and remained untraceable. To conceal his identity, he shaved his beard and cut his hair.