Mumbai BMW Hit-And-Run: How Cops Tracked Mihir Shah Via Friend’s Phone After 72 hours – News18

Mumbai Police arrested Mihir Shah, prime accused in the Worli hit-and-run case and son of a Shiv Sena politician, on Tuesday almost 72 hours after he allegedly rammed his luxury car into a two-wheeler, killing a woman and injuring her husband.

Mihir, 24, who managed to evade the police since Sunday morning, was arrested from Virar near Mumbai. He will be produced in Mumbai’s Sewri court on Wednesday.

Here’s how cops tracked Mihir

According to police, after the crash, Mihir fled from Kala Nagar area leaving his car and driver Rajrishi Bidawat behind in an auto rickshaw, and reached his woman friend’s residence in suburban Goregaon.

The friend called Mihir’s sister, who reached Goregaon, and took both Mihir and his friend to her Borivali residence.

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.

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.

On late 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.

As to Mihir’s movements prior to the accident, the official said that after partying with friends at a bar in the Juhu area, Mihir Shah 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.

Action against bar that served alcohol to Mihir

In a related development, the state Excise Department has sealed a bar in the Juhu area of Mumbai visited by Mihir and his friends on Saturday night, hours before he allegedly took the wheel of the car involved in the crash, an official said.

The bar manager had served hard liquor to Mihir, who is yet to complete 24 years of age, violating Maharashtra’s legal drinking age of 25, he said.

The action 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 rammed into a two-wheeler from behind in the Worli area on Sunday morning, resulting in the death of Kaveri Nakhwa (45), who was riding pillion, while her husband Pradeep survived with injuries.

Kaveri Nakhwa was dragged for around 1.5 km by the speeding car before Mihir pulled it over, swapped the seat with his driver, and fled in another vehicle, according to police.

Following the crash, Mumbai Police formed 11 teams and enlisted the Crime Branch to apprehend Mihir. A Look Out Circular (LOC) had also been issued against him, the official said.

(With PTI inputs)