Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday demolished the illegal portion of a bar in Juhu, which was visited by the Worli hit-and-run accused Mihir Shah, before he allegedly rammed his BMW car into a two-wheeler on Sunday morning, causing the death of Kaveri Nakhwa, 45. Chilling details of the accident emerged as the victim was dragged by the BMW car for 1.5 km before it stopped.
As per the details, the bar was sealed by the Excise Department for serving more alcohol than the prescribed limit to people under 25 years of age. Mihir Shah was seen leaving the bar on the CCTV footage on the night of July 7 (Sunday), the day of the accident. The BMC took further action because of the illegal expansion of the bar and encroachment without permission.
The bar manager had served hard liquor to Mihir, who is yet to complete 24 years of age, violating Maharashtra's legal drinking age of 25, he said. The action to seal the bar was taken on the orders of the district collector for violation of rules, the excise department official said.
What happened in Worli?
On Sunday, the hit-and-run case in Worli captured the nation's attention when Mihir Shah, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, rammed into a bike and resulting in the gruesome death of Kaveri Nakhwa, who was traveling with her husband Pradeep. Mihir Shah had been absconding since the incident, and the police have formed a total of 14 teams to nab the accused.
Soon after the incident, Worli police said they had confiscated the car from the Bandra region. Mihir's father Rajesh Shah, a leader from Shiv Sena, and the family's driver Rajrishi Rajendra Singh Bidawat, allegedly present with Mihir Shah in the car at the time of the incident, were arrested. In the proceedings held at Sewree Court, the police informed that accused Mihir Shah was constantly in touch with his father over the phone after the incident. Senior police sources confirmed that the Mumbai Police Crime Branch has detained the mother and two sisters of Mihir.
The accused Mihir was arrested from Virar near Mumbai on Tuesday after managing to evade the police for two days and may be charged with drunk driving under the new criminal laws. According to the initial investigation, Mihir Shah confessed to being behind the wheel when the incident happened and said he left before his father Rajesh Shah reached the spot.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena on Wednesday removed Rajesh Shah from the post of deputy leader of the party. He was relieved from the post after the order of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Parallels with Pune Porsche incident
Chilling details of the accident emerged in CCTV footage produced by police in the court. The footage shows Kaveri Nakhwa being dragged by the BMW car for 1.5 kilometres before the car stopped. Mihir and Bidawat pulled the woman off the bonnet, placed her on the road, and swapped seats. While reversing the car, Bidawat ran over the victim before fleeing. The incident has raised significant public outcry, with many demanding swift justice for the victim.
Pradeep Nakhwa, who survived the incident, said Mihir Shah had connections as the son of a political leader, drawing parallels from the Pune Porsche incident, where the son of an influential contractor was involved in a hit-and-run case that caused two deaths last month. "We were driving slowly when a car came at extreme speed and hit us. My wife was dragged under the wheels for a considerable distance. I tried to stop the car but couldn't. The driver fled the scene," he said.
ALSO READ | Mumbai Worli Road Accident: Mihir Shah may be charged with drunk driving, say police
