Mihir Shah, the main suspect in the Mumbai BMW hit-and-run incident and son of a prominent Shiv Sena politician, has confessed to police that he was driving the vehicle during the fatal collision that claimed the life of a woman and left her husband injured, officials revealed on Wednesday. Currently held in police custody until July 16, the 24-year-old has asserted possessing a valid driver's license, although authorities have yet to retrieve this documentation, according to a source.
Police have interviewed 14 individuals, including Mihir Shah's relatives and friends, with plans to visit the crash site in Worli, south-central Mumbai, to reconstruct the incident as part of their investigation. Rajesh Shah, Mihir's father and a Shiv Sena politician from Palghar district, is also implicated in the case and is presently out on bail.
Mihir Shah was apprehended on Tuesday in Thane district, two days after allegedly colliding his BMW into a scooter, resulting in the death of Kaveri Nakhwa (45) who was riding pillion, and injuring her husband Pradeep early Sunday morning. Despite being aware of the woman trapped under the car's wheels, Shah purportedly drove recklessly without stopping, disregarding signals from passing motorists urging him to halt, officials reported.
The disturbing incident was captured on CCTV cameras at Mela Junction and Bindu Madhav Thackeray Chowk in Worli. Shah allegedly ignored further pleas from other motorists to stop his vehicle after passing Bindu Madhav Thackeray Chowk, the official added.
During interrogation, Shah admitted to being behind the wheel at the time of the collision but did not disclose details about when he took over driving duties or until when he was driving, the official stated. Shah's lack of cooperation has hindered the investigation, authorities noted.
Following the accident, Shah, his family members based in suburban Borivali, and his grandfather residing in Palghar reportedly absconded from their homes. Shah altered his appearance by shaving his beard and trimming his hair to evade detection, prompting investigators to probe whether anyone assisted him in this endeavor.
Police intend to question Rajrishi Bidawat, the family chauffeur who was present during the incident, alongside Mihir Shah to glean further insights into the sequence of events leading up to the crash. Bidawat also faces charges in connection with the case.
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