Mumbai, July 8: Mumbai police formed 11 teams and also roped in the Crime Branch to nab the 24-year-old son of a ruling Shiv Sena leader after a BMW car the youth was driving crashed into a scooter, killing a woman and injuring her husband, an official said.
A Look Out Circular (LOC) has also been put out against Mihir Shah, son of Rajesh Shah, a Shiv Sena leader from neighbouring Palghar district, the official said on Monday.
The probe into the BMW hit-and-run case has found that victim Kaveri Nakhwa was run over by accused Rajrishi Bidawat just before Bandra Worli Sea Link after being dragged there by main accused Mihir Shah as the two fled, an official said.
The official further said Mihir Shah’s father and Palghar Shiv Sena leader Rajesh Shah took active part in ensuring his son’s escape and also had plans to tow away the offending vehicle.
Mihir Shah was allegedly driving the BMW car which fatally knocked down Kaveri Nakhwa (45) and injured her husband Pradeep while the couple was on their two-wheeler in Mumbai’s Worli area Sunday morning, police said. Bidawat was the other occupant in the luxury car.
CCTV footage produced by police in court during the day showed Kaveri Nakhwa being dragged by the car for 1.5 kilometres. Footage showed Mihir Shah and Bidawat pulling the woman off the bonnet, placing her on the road and then mowing her down again while reversing the luxury vehicle.
“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,” the official said.
“They sped towards Kala Nagar where the vehicle’s engine stalled. Mihir then called his father Rajesh Shah from Bidawat’s phone and told him about the accident as well as the car stalling. Rajesh Shah arrived at the spot in a Mercedes, spoke to Mihir and asked him to escape. Later Rajesh Shah planned to tow the BMW from there,” he said.
However, since Kaveri Nakhwa’s husband Pradip and an eyewitness had alerted police, a patrolling team reached Kalanagar and apprehended Rajesh and Bidawat, the official said.
As per police, from Kalanagar, Mihir Shah took a car to Borivali in the northern tip of the metropolis.
“He went to the residence of his female friend and has been untraceable since. He switched off his mobile phone in Borivali area. Considering the possibility of him fleeing Maharashtra, police teams have been sent to nearby states, including Gujarat,” the official said.
Police have also visited his residence in Palghar but it was locked, the official added. (PTI)
