Mumbai Mihir Shah, the absconding accused in the BMW hit-and-run case and son of a Shiv Sena politician, was arrested on Tuesday by the Mumbai Police, two days after he allegedly crashed his luxury car into a two-wheeled vehicle, killing a woman and injuring her husband.
Mihir, 24, who managed to evade police since Sunday morning, was arrested from Virar near Mumbai, a senior police official said.
Mihir's mother and his two sisters were taken to Mumbai for questioning from Shahapur in Thane district. They are being questioned along with 10 other people, the official added.
Police claimed that Mihir Shah's father-in-law Rajesh Shah actively ensured the escape of his son and had plans to tow the BMW car after the accident.
In a related development, the state Excise Department sealed a bar in Mumbai's Juhu area that Mihir and his friends visited on Saturday night, hours before he allegedly took the wheel of the car involved in the accident, it said. An official.
The bar manager had served strong liquor to Mihir, who is not yet 24, violating the legal drinking age in Maharashtra of 25, he said.
The move to seal the bar was taken on the orders of the district collector for violation of rules, the excise department official said.
Preliminary investigations showed that the luxury car driven by Mihir collided with a two-wheeler from behind in Worli area on Sunday morning, resulting in the death of Kaveri Nakhwa (45), who was traveling as a passenger, while that her husband Pradeep survived with injuries.
Kaveri Nakhwa was dragged for about 1.5 kilometers by the speeding car before Mihir stopped him, swapped seats with his driver and fled in another vehicle, according to police.
Following the accident, Mumbai Police formed 11 teams and roped in the Crime Branch to arrest Mihir. A Vigilance Circular (LOC) was also issued against him, the official said.
A Mumbai court on Tuesday extended the police custody of Rajesh Shah's driver Rajrishi Bidawat in the hit-and-run case until July 11. Bidawat was sitting in the luxury car with Mihir at the time of the accident. Rajesh Shah is currently out on bail.
Chilling details of the crash emerged in CCTV footage produced by police in court on Monday.
Footage shows Kaveri Nakhwa being dragged by a BMW car for 1.5 kilometers before the car stopped. Mihir and Bidawat took the woman off her hood, left her on the road and swapped seats. While reversing, Bidawat ran over the victim before fleeing.
"After she was dragged out of Worli, Mihir and Bidawat stopped the car just before BWSL and pulled out the woman who had gotten tangled in the tire of the vehicle. Bidawat then took the driver's seat and ran over the victim while he was reversing. Then they fled," an official said.
Earlier, the opposition had criticized the Maharashtra government for the rise in hit-and-run accidents in the state.
Questions were also raised over the alleged delay in Mihir's arrest, even more than 48 hours after the accident.
Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde had claimed that no one would be spared in the case.
"No one, whether rich, influential or descended from bureaucrats or ministers affiliated to any party, will have immunity as long as I am the chief minister," Shinde had said.
Mihir, 24, who managed to evade police since Sunday morning, was arrested from Virar near Mumbai, a senior police official said.
Mihir's mother and his two sisters were taken to Mumbai for questioning from Shahapur in Thane district. They are being questioned along with 10 other people, the official added.
Police claimed that Mihir Shah's father-in-law Rajesh Shah actively ensured the escape of his son and had plans to tow the BMW car after the accident.
In a related development, the state Excise Department sealed a bar in Mumbai's Juhu area that Mihir and his friends visited on Saturday night, hours before he allegedly took the wheel of the car involved in the accident, it said. An official.
The bar manager had served strong liquor to Mihir, who is not yet 24, violating the legal drinking age in Maharashtra of 25, he said.
The move to seal the bar was taken on the orders of the district collector for violation of rules, the excise department official said.
Preliminary investigations showed that the luxury car driven by Mihir collided with a two-wheeler from behind in Worli area on Sunday morning, resulting in the death of Kaveri Nakhwa (45), who was traveling as a passenger, while that her husband Pradeep survived with injuries.
Kaveri Nakhwa was dragged for about 1.5 kilometers by the speeding car before Mihir stopped him, swapped seats with his driver and fled in another vehicle, according to police.
Following the accident, Mumbai Police formed 11 teams and roped in the Crime Branch to arrest Mihir. A Vigilance Circular (LOC) was also issued against him, the official said.
A Mumbai court on Tuesday extended the police custody of Rajesh Shah's driver Rajrishi Bidawat in the hit-and-run case until July 11. Bidawat was sitting in the luxury car with Mihir at the time of the accident. Rajesh Shah is currently out on bail.
Chilling details of the crash emerged in CCTV footage produced by police in court on Monday.
Footage shows Kaveri Nakhwa being dragged by a BMW car for 1.5 kilometers before the car stopped. Mihir and Bidawat took the woman off her hood, left her on the road and swapped seats. While reversing, Bidawat ran over the victim before fleeing.
"After she was dragged out of Worli, Mihir and Bidawat stopped the car just before BWSL and pulled out the woman who had gotten tangled in the tire of the vehicle. Bidawat then took the driver's seat and ran over the victim while he was reversing. Then they fled," an official said.
Earlier, the opposition had criticized the Maharashtra government for the rise in hit-and-run accidents in the state.
Questions were also raised over the alleged delay in Mihir's arrest, even more than 48 hours after the accident.
Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde had claimed that no one would be spared in the case.
"No one, whether rich, influential or descended from bureaucrats or ministers affiliated to any party, will have immunity as long as I am the chief minister," Shinde had said.
