The Mumbai Police issued a lookout circular against Mihir Shah on Monday for his role in Sunday's hit-and-run accident. The 24-year-old allegedly crashed into a two-wheeler, killing a 45-year-old woman who was the pillion rider on the bike in the Worli area while driving a BMW car.
Police have formed at least 14 teams to nab the absconding youth, who also happens to be the son of a Shiv Sena leader (CM Eknath Shinde faction) from the neighbouring Palghar district.
According to the police, Mihir Shah had visited a pub in the Juhu area of Mumbai with his friends before the incident. Officials have already recorded the statements of three of his friends.
The police also said that the accused had spoken to his father (Rajesh Shah) on the phone several times after the accident. The police detained Rajesh Shah and another individual on Sunday for failing to cooperate with them.
“A BMW car ran over two people riding a bike. The woman died in the incident, and the other person was injured. The incident took place at 5:30 am when the couple riding a bike were passing in front of the Atria Mall in Worli,” a statement from the Mumbai Police explained.
The couple, who belonged to the fishing community, were returning after buying fish at the Crawford market. The husband managed to jump off the bonnet of the speeding vehicle, but Kaveri, his wife, could not do so as she was carrying a heavy load. According to police reports, she was dragged for 100 meters by the car and suffered serious injuries. Police reports said that both were rushed to Nair Hospital, but Kaveri succumbed to her injuries. The official statement added, “The driver fled the spot with his car.”
The incident in Worli comes less than two months after the Pune Porsche case that saw a 17-year-old boy ram his Porsche car into a motorbike, allegedly under the influence of alcohol. The case resulted in the deaths of two software engineers.
Yet another fresh hit-and-run case was reported from Pune late on Sunday night. An unidentified vehicle hit a 43-year-old policeman's motorcycle in the Pimpri Chinchwad area, resulting in his death.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde touched upon the spate of hit-and-run cases on Monday, insisting that no individual would go unpunished as long as he was at the helm of affairs.
“No one, whether rich, influential or the offspring of bureaucrats or ministers affiliated with any party, will have immunity as long as I am the Chief Minister of the State. I have zero tolerance for injustice,” he wrote in a social media post.
(With inputs from agencies)
