Mihir Shah, the main accused in the BMW hit-and-run case and son of a Shiv Sena politician, has been sent to judicial custody for 14 days.

A woman, Kaveri Nakhwa (45), was killed and her husband Pradip injured after their two-wheeler was hit from the rear by the BMW allegedly driven by Mr Shah at 5:30 am on July 7 in Worli’s arterial Anni Besant Road. Mr Shah evaded the police for three days until he was tracked down to an apartment in Virar, around 65 km from Mumbai. The police traced him when one of his friends turned on his phone for 15 minutes. The mobile phone location of a friend of Mihir Shah led the police to him.

On July 10, Mr Shah was sent to seven-day police custody. “He has not given any information about whom did he meet, where all did he go after the crime. He threw away the number plate. There’s no information on why he cut his hair,” the police told a court as Mr Shah’s custody ended today.

The public prosecutor had sought an extension of the police custody to find out “who all harboured him (when he went missing after the accident), he hasn’t talked about it”.

The 24-year-old shaved his beard and cut his hair to evade arrest, the police earlier told the court. 

“The investigation is still on. We need to know who gave him the car and shelter after the accident. For that we need an extension of the police custody,” they said.

Mr Shah had fled the scene after allegedly running over the woman with his luxury car. The police had been searching for Mr Shah and his family members (who also went missing after the car number) using their car numbers. The phone number of Mihir’s friend was also under surveillance.

The defence side requested the court to send Mihir Shah to judicial custody as in the “seven days, the police recorded the statements of the family and the driver and their statements align.”

“In the remand report, it is stated that they have recovered clothes, recorded 27 statements and found the beer can,” said the defence lawyer.

During the police interrogation following his arrest, Mr Shah allegedly admitted that he was a habitual drinker. Yesterday, the license of a Mumbai bar from where the hit-and-run main accused  Shah bought four bottles of beer before hitting the couple was temporarily suspended over alleged violations.

“We are hearing that they want to see the number plate – what will it show? They stated that the number plate from the front plate is missing – they have the number of the vehicle,” he added.

The police stressed that the “number plate was an important evidence and we need to recollect”. “We have still not found out the reason for the change in appearance,” the public prosecutor told the court.

Rajesh Shah – the father of Mihir Shah, the main accused in the BMW hit-and-run case – has been suspended by the Shiv Sena of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Shah was a Sena leader from Palghar district.

His son, Mihir, has reportedly admitted to driving the luxury sedan when it rammed into a two-wheeler at 5.30 am Sunday, killing a 45-year-old woman and injuring her husband.

Mihir Shah has, however, denied claims he was drunk, sources told NDTV.

Rajesh Shah had been arrested on Sunday, hours after the collision.

The husband had complained to the police and cops from Worli caught Rajesh Shah and the family driver, Rajrishi Bidawat, in the BMW when Mihir Shah hit the bike, as they were destroying evidence.

The cops also believe Rajesh Shah and Bidawat helped Mihir Shah escape; multiple phone calls were logged between father and son in the immediate aftermath of the collision.

However, Rajesh Shah received bail a day after his arrest – on payment of Rs 15,000.

READ | Sena Leader, Father Of Accused In BMW Hit-And-Run, Gets Bail

Bidawat remains in jail.

All three face several charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The horrific collision in Mumbai’s Worli area took place hours after Mihir Shah and four of his friends were at Juhu’s Vice-Global Tapas Bar. NDTV has accessed a copy of the Rs 18,730 credit card bill.

The bar was sealed Tuesday and portions have been demolished this afternoon.

Apart from serving liquor to underage persons – Mihir Shah is 24 and the minimum drinking age in Mumbai is 25 – the bar was also sealed for serving alcohol without a proper licence and for illegal construction on the property. These illegal bits were demolished.

Shah went into hiding – he may have received help from his mother and two sisters, police had said – after the tragic incident. He was arrested, more than 72 hours later, from Virar near Mumbai.

His mother and sisters have also been taken into custody.

The woman who was killed has been identified as Kaveri Nakhwa, 45. She was travelling with her husband, Pradip, when the BMW driver 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.

READ | In Mumbai BMW Case, Woman Dragged For 1.5 Km, Run Over Twice

The police said the footage also indicated Shah then exchanged seats with Bidawat, pulled the woman’s body out from under the car, and left it on the road. The car was then driven away.

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.

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