The speeding BMW that hit a scooter in Mumbai’s Worli this morning, leading to a woman’s death, was being driven by the 24-year-old son of a senior leader of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, police have said. Police also suspects that Mihir Shah, who is on the run, was drunk at the time of the incident. His blood test report is awaited.
The accused in the son of Rajesh Shah, deputy leader of the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra’s Palghar district. The politician and his driver, Rajendra Singh Bijawat, are now in police custody. A case has been registered under the new criminal code Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita under sections relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rash driving and destruction of evidence, among others. Provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act have also been invoked.
The vehicle is registered in Mihir Shah’s name. At the time of the accident, police said, the Sena leader’s son and their driver were in the luxury car. According to police sources, Mihir Shah drank at a bar in Juhu last night. On his way home, he asked the driver to take him a long drive. The car came to Worli and then Mihir insisted that he would drive. Soon after he took the wheel, the speeding BMW hit a scooter.
On the scooter were Kaveri Nakva and her husband Pradik Nakva, residents of Worli’s Koliwada area. The fish-seller couple went to Sassoon Dock daily to fetch fish. They were on their way back, when the BMW crashed into their two-wheeler. The two were thrown into the air and crashed on the bonnet of the SUV. As the car kept speeding, Kaveri Nakva was run over. The car fled the spot and the woman was taken to a hospital, where she was declared dead. Her husband, Pradik, suffered minor injuries.
Police sources have said Mihir called his father and told him about the crash. His phone has been off since then. Four police teams are looking for him.
The police’s investigation has also revealed attempts to destroy evidence. The car’s windshield has a Shiv Sena sticker, which has been scratched, apparently to conceal the vehicle’s link with the Sena leader. One of the car’s number plates was also removed after the accident, but police scanned the CCTV footage of the area to zero in on the vehicle.
Maharashtra Chief Minister and Sena Leader Eknath Shinde has termed the incident “unfortunate” and assured action. “Law will take its own course, everyone is equal before law. I have spoken to the police and strict action will be taken,” he said.
The incident comes months after a similar case of drink-driving left two 24-year-old engineers dead in Pune. The minor accused in the Pune crash was speeding a Porsche car after a round of drinking. The teen’s father, a prominent realtor, his mother and his grandfather were arrested in the aftermath of the accident for allegedly attempting to destroy evidence.
