Revealing new details of the BMW hit-and-run case, police told the court on Monday that accused, Mihir Shah, switched seats with his driver “after dragging the woman on the bonnet for nearly one-and-a-half kilometres”. Driver, Rajrishi Rajendrasingh Bidawat, then “reversed the vehicle and mowed (down the woman) for the second time before escaping,” the police said, adding that this was done to “mislead” the investigation.
Accused Mihir, 24, is absconding, while his father, Shinde Sena leader Rajesh Shah, and Bidawat have been arrested. They were produced before the metropolitan magistrate court in Sewri on Monday. While Bidawat was sent to police custody for a day, Shah was sent to judicial custody and later granted bail.
On Sunday morning, Kaveri Nakhwa (45) was killed when a speeding BMW car, allegedly driven by Mihir, hit the two-wheeler on which she was travelling with her husband, Pradeep Nakhwa (50).
“We have recovered CCTV footage which proves that Mihir and Bidawat interchanged their seats,” police told Metropolitan Magistrate Suhas Bhosale, and showed a CCTV footage clip. The police said that after the incident, Mihir called up his father, who allegedly told him to escape and instructed Bidawat to take responsibility for the incident.
Public Prosecutor Bharti Bhosale told the court that the woman got stuck between the tyre and the bumper of the car and was dragged for one-and-a-half kilometres, before the accused stopped the vehicle and removed her. “Bidawat then sat in the driving seat, following which he reversed the vehicle and mowed (down) Nakhwa for the second time before escaping,” the police told the court.
The two accused then took the Sea Link to reach Bandra. At Kalanagar area, the car broke down, after which they allegedly tried to tamper with the vehicle’s registration number and other stickers. Mihir escaped from there, while Bidawat waited at the spot with the car, police said.
Police said that Rajesh Shah reached the spot later and told Bidawat that he had called for a tow vehicle, but we reached before that and nabbed both of them,” said a police officer. “The driver confessed and told us that Shah had directed him to take responsibility.” Police said they suspect Shah and Bidawat were planning to dispose of the vehicle.
Shah, a supplier of construction material, was earlier Palghar district head of the undivided Shiv Sena. He is currently with the Shinde Sena.
Police had registered a case under BNS Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 281 (rash driving), 125B (causing grievous hurt), 238 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender), and 324-4 (committing mischief and thereby causing loss or damage to the amount of Rs 20,000 and more but less than Rs 1 lakh), and Sections 184 (driving dangerously), 134A (not taking the injured to hospital), 134B (not informing the police) and 187 (punishment for offences related to accident) of the Motor Vehicle Act.
On Monday, the court questioned the application of BNS Section 105 against Shah.
