Mumbai hit-and-run: Shinde-led Shiv Sena leader’s son missing, look-out circular issued

Mumbai Police have issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) against a 24-year-old man who was allegedly driving a BMW car which fatally knocked down a woman in Worli area, an official said on Monday (July 8).

The accused, Mihir Shah, is the son of a Shiv Sena leader from the neighbouring Palghar district.

Kaveri Nakhwa (45), a resident of Worli Koliwada, was going with her husband Pradeep on the arterial Dr Annie Besant Road when the luxury car, allegedly driven by Mihir Shah, crashed into the couple's two-wheeler at around 5.30 am on Sunday (July 7), according to the police.

The car dragged the woman for more than 2 kms, a police official said. She was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared her dead-on-arrival.

Accused fled the scene

After the accident, the accused fled towards the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. He left the car and his driver Rajrishi Bidawat, who was sitting next to him, near Kala Nagar in Bandra area and fled in an auto-rickshaw, the official said.

Mihir's father Rajesh Shah and Bidawat were later arrested by the Worli police on Sunday for allegedly helping Mihir escape after the accident, the official said.

Rajesh Shah is a Shiv Sena leader from Palghar. The official said the car is owned by Rajesh Shah.

6 police teams searching for Mihir Shah

"As there was a possibility of Mihir Shah fleeing the country, the Mumbai Police on Sunday evening issued an LOC against him," the official said.

The police have launched a search for the accused and formed six teams to trace him, he said.

Police suspect Mihir was drunk

Police suspect Mihir was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident as he was spotted at a bar in Juhu area here a few hours before the incident, the official said.

The police have also found a bill of ₹18,000 of the bar and are verifying it, the official said without elaborating. The CCTV footage of the bar is also being examined, he said.

Media reports quoted Karan Shah, the owner of the pub, Voice Global Tapas Bar in Juhu as saying that Mihir had a Red Bull energy drink at the pub and was not drunk.

Accused’s father, driver to appear before local court

The two arrested persons will be produced before a local court later in the day, he added.

The accused persons have been booked under various sections, including 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), according to the police.

Law is equal for all: CM Shinde

Speaking about the incident, Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena head Eknath Shinde on Sunday (July 7) said the law was equal for everyone and no one would be spared.

Asked if the man involved in the accident was a Shiv Sena leader's son, the CM said, "The law is equal for all and the government sees every case in the same way. There will be no separate rule for this accident. Everything will be done as per the law. The police will not shield anyone. The Mumbai accident is unfortunate. I have spoken to the police department to take strict action," he added.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray, who represents the Worli assembly constituency, in a post on X on Sunday (July 7) said, "I will not go into the political leanings of Mr Shah, the accused of the hit and run, but I hope the police will act swiftly to catch the accused and bring him to justice. Hopefully, there will be no political refuge by the regime."

(With agency inputs)