As per the Enforcement Directorate, Vinod Chauhan, a Hawala dealer, played a pivotal role in the transfer of Rs 25.5 crore from Delhi to Goa
In a very short span after he rammed a couple on a scooter with his BMW, killing the woman who was riding pillion, Mihir Shah spoke to his girlfriend 40 times before abandoning the car, hailing an auto and heading to her house. Police said the girlfriend may now be detained for questioning.
The 24-year-old son of a Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) leader crashed his BMW into a scooter in Worli in which Pradeep Nakhwa and Kaveri Nakhwa, a fish-seller couple, were returning around 5.30 am on Sunday after buying fish to sell during the day. While Pradeep was flung off the bonnet after the car hit him, Kaveri came under the wheels and was dragged for 1.5 km.
Shah, who was allegedly drunk. then switched seats with his driver, Rajrishi Bidawat, and they reversed the car over Kaveri before speeding away. Shah and the driver then went to Kala Nagar in Bandra, where they abandoned the car and took off the number plate to avoid being caught.
While all this was happening, an official said, Shah called and spoke to his girlfriend 40 times.
Evading Arrest
After leaving the car in Kala Nagar, the 24-year-old hailed an auto and went to his girlfriend’s house in Goregaon. Police said he “rested” there for two hours while his girlfriend informed Shah’s sister about the accident. His sister went to Goregaon and then took Shah to their house in Borivali.
From there, Shah’s mother, Meena, two sisters – Puja and Kinjal – and a friend, Avdeep, left for a resort in Shahpur, nearly 70 km from Mumbai. They hid there while the police kept looking for Shah, having arrested his father Rajesh Shah and the driver, Bidawat.
On Monday night, Shah left for the family’s house in Virar and, the next morning, Avdeep turned on his phone for 15 minutes, revealing his location. This led to Shah’s arrest.
While Shah was produced in court on Wednesday and sent to police custody till July 16, police said they may also detain his girlfriend to question her. An official said the questions will centre around what information about the accident was shared with her by Shah, and whether he was drunk when he spoke to her and met her.
‘Guilty Won’t Be Spared’
The Worli hit-and-run, which came close on the heels of the Pune Porsche accident, has led to questions being asked of the government. While the juvenile is on the Porsche case is on bail after killing two 24-year-old techies, Mihir Shah also managed to evade the police for 72 hours.
In both cases, the opposition has alleged that the accused have links to people in the state government, which is being run by a coalition of the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena, the BJP, and the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the NCP.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has, however, maintained that the guilty will not be spared and the police will not shield anyone. Rajesh Shah, who was the deputy leader of the Shiv Sena in the Palghar district, was suspended from his post on Wednesday.
Mihir Shah – the main accused in the Mumbai BMW hit-and-run-case – has been sent to police custody till July 16. Shah was arrested Tuesday evening after being on the run for over 72 hours.
The son of suspended Shiv Sena leader Rajesh Shah, sources told NDTV Mihir Shah has since admitted to driving the luxury sedan when it rammed a two-wheeler in Worli at 5.30 am Sunday, killing a 45-year-old woman and injuring her husband. However, Shah, 24, denied reports he was drunk.
The police had sought “maximum possible custody” of Mihir Shah, arguing he tried to destroy evidence after the accident and evade arrest by altering his appearance; sources had earlier said Shah exchanged multiple phone calls with his father and partner after the collision to plan his escape.
READ | BMW Hit-And-Run: Accused, Father Spoke On Phone After Crash
This included taking an auto-rickshaw from the scene of the collision to his partner’s home in Goregaon, where he spent two hours, and then jumping to an apartment in Virar, from where he was arrested. The mobile phone of a friend helped the cops after Mihir Shah (and his family) switched off their phones.
Authorities believe Mihir Shah was helped by his mother and two sisters, both of whom have also been arrested. Shah’s partner may be summoned for questioning and could also be detained.
READ | Mihir Shah Called Girlfriend 40 Times After BMW Hit-And-Run
The police told the court it needs custody of Mihir Shah to work out how he managed to evade arrest for over 72 hours and identify all those, including family members, who helped him.
Shah also needs to be questioned, the police said, about the vehicle’s ownership details.
The cops also said Shah cut his hair short and trimmed his beard.
READ | Mihir Shah Shaved, Cut Hair To Evade Arrest After BMW Crash
This, the police said, underlines the serious nature of the crime and the allegations against Mihir Shah, and insisted, “Hence an investigation is required. The number plate (of the BMW, which reportedly broke on impact and was discarded by Shah) has also not been found.”
“The accused cut his hair and beard… it was an attempt to mislead the police.”
Shah’s lawyers countered the prosecution by pointing out the cops already have substantial material, including the matching statements of the main accused and the family driver and video footage.
Rajrishi Bidawat, the driver, was in the car at the time of the collision. He had reportedly been told (by the father, Rajesh Shah) to hand control of the car to Mihir Shah 90 minutes before the crash.
After the crash the two exchanged seats and Bidawat ran over the woman’s body a second time, after which Shah and he drove to Kalanagar where they planned to abandon the vehicle.
On the question of the missing number plate, the defence said the cops had CCTV footage.
READ | CCTV Shows Sena Leader’s Son In Mercedes Before BMW Crash
“Just for cutting hair and beard… this is not grounds to send him to custody,” the defence said.
The horrific collision – which bears eerie resemblance to the Pune Porsche crash, in which a minor boy killed two people after consuming alcohol at a city bar – took place after Mihir Shah spent nearly Rs 20,000 at a bar in Mumbai’s Juhu. The Vice-Global Tapas Bar was sealed yesterday.
Sections of the bar were demolished this morning. The authorities say the bar did not have a valid permit to serve alcohol and, crucially, supplied an underage Mihir Shah with liquor.
READ | BMW Hit-And-Run: Bulldozer At Pub Where Accused Spent Hours
The woman who was killed has been identified as Kaveri Nakhwa, 45. She was travelling with her husband, Pradip, when the BMW – which Mihir Shah was allegedly driving – lost control and hit the two-wheeler.
Horrific details have emerged of the crash, including CCTV footage that indicates Ms Nakhwa was dragged for 1.5 km after the collision before the BMW was stopped.
The husband spoke to NDTV and lamented the shock death of his wife.
READ | “My Child Wants Mother…”: Husband Of Mumbai Crash Victim
“I ran behind the car for half a kilometre, but could not find the body. I was crying, screaming, but he did not stop. If he had stopped for a second, nothing would have happened,” Mr Nakhwa had said.
The Maharashtra government has offered Mr Nakhwa Rs 10 lakh as compensation.
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