Mumbai BMW hit-and-run case: Where is Mihir Shah? Family untraceable; pressure mounts on CM Shinde

Mumbai BMW hit-and-run case: Three days after allegedly driving a BMW luxury case while intoxicated and running over a two-wheeler in Mumbai's Worli early Sunday, resulting in the death of a 45-year-old woman and the injury of her husband, Mihir Shah, the main accused, remains at large.

The Mumbai Police has questioned over a dozen people, including Mihir Shah's partner, and have established multiple task forces to locate him. They suspect that Mihir Shah, the son of Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) leader Rajesh Shah, is hiding with family members, including his mother and sister. All known mobile phones belonging to his family and close relatives have been turned off, NDTV reported.

On Sunday, Rajesh Shah, who was arrested on Sunday, was granted bail within 24 hours after paying ₹15,000.

Pressure mounts on Eknath Shinde government

On Tuesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray attacked Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, saying he must stop the “grandstanding” to divert attention from the case.

"The illegal CM must stop the grandstanding to divert attention from the hit-and-run case. It is clear, the accused, Mihir Rajesh Shah, must be caught and brought to justice. All the grandstanding about his concern and directives to the police is simply an eye wash," Aaditya Thackeray said in a post on X.

"With all the CCTV cameras and intelligence network in place, can't they catch the accused in 48 hours? Will either the illegal CM or the home minister answer why they've failed to locate and arrest the accused? Is it the failure of the Home Dept? Or the CCTV? Or simply the political connections that are delaying the arrest?" he added.

The incident took place in Worli on Sunday. The BMW car ran over a couple riding a bike, killing the woman and injuring her husband.

Following the incident, Eknath Shinde on Monday directed the commissioner of police, Mumbai, to curb the drunk and drive cases, and instructed the administration to check the people driving vehicles on all the roads, squares and crowded places and initiate stringent action against those found drunk while driving.

Worli Police on Monday said that Rajesh Shah, the father of Mihir Shah, accused in the hit-and-run case, had made several calls to the 24-year-old after the accident.

Police also said that prior to the incident, Mihir Shah had visited a pub in Juhu with his friends to party and that statements of three of his friends who were present with him before the incident have been taken.

Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde expressed alarm at the “rise in hit-and-run incidents in Maharashtra”. He said the guilty would not be spared and directed the police to take action.

On July 7, Mihir's father Rajesh Shah and another person Rajrishi Bidawat were arrested for not cooperating with the police.

BMW crash: What Mumbai Police probe found

The probe into the BMW hit-and-run case has found that Kaveri Nakhwa was run over by accused Rajrishi Bidawat just before Bandra Worli Sea Link after being dragged there by main accused Mihir Shah as the two fled, a police official said. The official further said Mihir Shah's father and Palghar Shiv Sena leader Rajesh Shah took active part in ensuring his son's escape and also had plans to tow away the offending vehicle.

Mihir Shah was allegedly driving the BMW car which fatally knocked down Kaveri Nakhwa (45) and injured her husband Pradeep while the couple was on their two-wheeler in Mumbai’s Worli area, police said. Bidawat was the other occupant in the luxury car. CCTV acmera footage produced by police in court during the day showed Kaveri Nakhwa being dragged by the car for 1.5 kilometres.

Footage showed Mihir Shah and Bidawat pulling the woman off the bonnet, placing her on the road and then mowing her down again while reversing the luxury vehicle. "