BMW hit-and-run case: Family of Mihir Shah escaped as they were scared of being attacked, interrogated

On Tuesday, the Mumbai police arrested Mihir Shah, 24, from Virar after his friend, who was accompanying him, switched on his mobile phone. It also detained Mihir’s mother Meena, his sisters Pooja and Kinjal, and a friend from a resort in Murbad in Thane district. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde removed Rajesh Shah, the father of Mihir, from the post of deputy leader of the Shiv Sena’s Palghar unit.

“We have recorded their statements and are trying to ascertain their exact role. They have claimed they went into hiding as they were scared of being attacked by a mob while the investigators would have also detained them and conducted sustained interrogation,” said an investigator.

A senior police officer also added that his grandparents, who stay in Palghar, are also untraceable since the incident.

“When our team reached their house, their neighbours told us that they are not at home for couple of days,” the officer said.

According to Mumbai police, Mihir Shah, who had been absconding after the accident in Worli on Sunday morning, initially hid at his friend’s house in Goregaon from where his elder sister picked him up and dropped him near Thane. After that Mihir, his sisters, and his mother hid in different hotels in Thane, near Nashik, and in Murbad.

Police said that hours before the accident on Sunday, Mihir Shah went to a bar in Juhu with a few of his friends, where he is believed to have consumed liquor. As he left the bar, Mihir went to Borivali to drop off his friends after which he and his driver, Rajrishi Bidawat, went to Marine Drive for a joy ride.

“We have learnt that it was at around 3.30 am that Mihir and his driver left for Marine Drive. While returning, he insisted on driving and subsequently rammed the two-wheeler on Dr Annie Basant Road in Worli,” said an officer.

Kaveri Nakhwa, who was riding the two-wheeler with her husband, was dragged on the road as she got stuck between the bumper and the tyre of the vehicle. Later she was flung off. Accoding to police, Mihir changed his seat with Bidawat and contacted his father. Rajesh Shah asked his son to flee and instructed Bidawat to take responsibility for the accident, police said.

After being arrested for helping Mihir escape, Rajesh Shah was released on bail on Monday and Bidawat was remanded in police custody till July 11.

Officials said Mihir was produced before a court on Wednesday and remanded in police custody.