Mumbai BMW hit-and-run case: Mumbai police on Thursday said that both accused, prime accused Mihir Shah and the other accused, Rajrishi Bidawat, have accepted their roles in the crime and are currently in police custody.
As reported by ANI, Mihir Shah and Rajrishi Bidawat were brought face-to-face with each other by police during interrogation. An official from the Mumbai Police said, “Both have confessed to their roles in the crime. Police did a scene recreation in the presence of the accused in a similar sequence to the actual accident night. The scene was recreated from CJ House Worli to Sea Link Worli. The accused, while confessing to his crime, says that he is repenting for what he has done."
As reported by PTI, Mihir Shah, after crashing into the couple's scooter early Sunday morning, was fully aware that the woman, Kaveri Nakhwa, was stuck under one of the luxury car's tyres. Despite frantic signals and shouts from passing motorists urging him to stop, Mihir Shah continued to drive recklessly and did not halt, an official said on Wednesday.
After the incident, Mihir Shah shaved his beard and trimmed his hair to avoid being identified. Authorities are now investigating whether he received assistance in altering his appearance.
Meanwhile, the Times of India, citing excise officials, reported that Mihir Shah and his friends consumed 12 large pegs of whiskey, which roughly amounted to four pegs each, on the day of the car crash. The TOI report mentioned that based on this bar bill, excise officials stated that this quantity of alcohol could lead to intoxication lasting up to eight hours.
The report indicated that Mihir Shah and his friends departed from the bar at 1:30 am on Sunday, and the accident occurred around 5 am, which was within four hours of their drinking session.
“The 24-year-old accused, who is in police custody till July 16, claimed he possessed a driving licence, but the document was yet to be recovered," officials told PTI.
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The official said 14 statements, including Mihir Shah's mother, sisters, and friends, have been recorded so far.
On Tuesday, police apprehended Mihir Shah from the nearby Thane district, just two days after he allegedly crashed his BMW into a two-wheeler, resulting in the death of Kaveri Nakhwa (45), who was riding as a pillion and causing injuries to her husband, Pradeep.
The incident was captured by the police CCTV cameras installed at Mela Junction and Bindu Madhav Thackeray Chowk in Worli.
PTI reported citing officials that after passing Bindu Madhav Thackeray Chowk, several motorists tried to signal Mihir Shah to stop his car, but he ignored their attempts and continued driving.
During interrogation, the accused, whose family chauffeur was sitting beside him, admitted he was behind the wheel at the time of the crash but did not tell the police from which point he started driving and until when, said the police official.
Meanwhile, Rajesh Shah, the father of the accused, has been relieved from his position as the Deputy leader of Shiv Sena. This decision was made following directives from Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
(With inputs from agencies)