Shiv Sena leader Rajesh Shah - whose son allegedly drove the speeding BMW that rammed into a two-wheeler early Sunday in Mumbai's Worli, killing a 45-year-old woman and injuring her husband - has got provisional bail on payment of Rs 15,000.
The son - Mihir Shah, who visited a pub in the Juhu area hours before the accident and ran up a bill of nearly Rs 20,000 - is the main accused and is on the run. A notice has been issued to prevent him from leaving the country, and his girlfriend - who may have helped hide him - is being questioned.
Mihir Shah's phone has been switched off.
Earlier today a city court remanded Rajesh Shah to judicial custody - i.e., to jail - for 14 days.
Rajesh Shah is part of the Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Rajesh Shah and Rajrishi Bidawat - the driver allegedly relegated to the front passenger's seat by Mihir Shah, who insisted on driving despite being drunk - were arrested Sunday.
The cops believe the two helped Mihir escape. This morning they said phone calls were made by the father to his son after the incident. 14 police teams have been formed to arrest Mihir Shah.
READ | In Worli Hit-And-Run, Phone Calls Made To Accused By Father
Multiple charges have been filed against all three, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder. However, the court ruled that charge - under Section 105 of the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which is one of the three new criminal laws.
The woman who was killed has been identified as Kaveri Nakhwa, 45. She was travelling with her husband, Pradip, when the BMW driver lost control and hit the two-wheeler.
READ | Who Is Mihir Shah? Shiv Sena Leader's Son Accused In BMW Crash
The impact was severe - the two-wheeler overturned, throwing husband and wife on the front of the car. In a desperate attempt to save himself, the husband managed to jump off but his wife was not as fortunate. She was dragged for 100 metres by the car as it attempted to flee the scene.
READ | In Mumbai Hit-And-Run, BMW Dragged Woman For 100 Metres
The incident comes months after a similar case in Pune, in which a speeding Porsche driven by a minor left two 24-year-old engineers dead in Pune.
READ | In Sena Leader And Mumbai BMW Crash, A Porsche Case Parallel
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed alarm at the "rise in hit-and-run incidents in Maharashtra." He said that the powerful and influential attempt to misuse their status to manipulate the system and such abuse of power will not be tolerated by his government
He also said the guilty will not be spared.
"No one, whether rich, influential, or the offspring of bureaucrats or ministers, affiliated with any party, will have immunity as long as I am the Chief Minister of the State. I have zero tolerance for injustice," Shinde said in a post on X.
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