Mumbai BMW case: How friend’s phone led to Mihir Shah’s arrest
On Monday evening, Mihir and his friend left the Shahapur resort and reached Virar, where his friend switched on his phone for 15 minutes. Police acted at once
Mumbai Police has finally hunted down Mihir Shah, son of a Shiv Sena politician and an accused in the BMW hit-and-run case, after two days of painstaking probe. Mihir was tracked when his friend made the mistake of switching on his mobile phone for 15 minutes.
Mihir, 24, who had managed to evade the police since the accident on Sunday morning, was finally arrested from Virar near Mumbai late on Tuesday (July 9).
The alleged crime
The luxury car driven by Mihir allegedly rammed into a two-wheeler from behind in the Worli area of south-central Mumbai on Sunday morning, resulting in the death of Kaveri Nakhwa (45), who was riding pillion, while her husband Pradeep survived with injuries.
According to the police, Mihir then fled Kala Nagar area in an auto rickshaw, leaving his car and driver behind, and reached his woman friend’s residence in suburban Goregaon.
Fled to resort
The friend called Mihir’s sister, who reached Goregaon, and took both Mihir and his friend to her Borivali residence, a senior police official said.
The Shah family then decided to flee to a resort at Shahapur in Thane district in an Audi car. Mihir, his mother Meena, sisters Kinjal, and Pooja and two friends stayed at the resort.
Friend’s mobile
After learning the identity of one of the friends accompanying Mihir, Mumbai Police tracked his number, but this friend too had switched off his mobile phone, the official said.
Late on Monday evening, Mihir, along with his friend, left the Shahapur resort and reached Virar, where his friend switched on his mobile phone for 15 minutes, he said.
Police immediately tracked down the mobile tower location and intercepted the duo, the official added.
Party before accident
About Mihir’s movements before Sunday’s accident, the official said after partying with friends at a bar in the Juhu area, he left with his driver for South Mumbai in the early hours.
He was spotted in Marine Drive area around 4.30 am, driving the BMW car. Driver Rajrushi Bidawat was sitting next to him.
As the vehicle reached Worli, the car hit the two-wheeler, killing Kaveri Nakhwa.
(With agency inputs)