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In a shocking development in the Worli hit-and-run case, Mihir Shah(23), the accused was not arrested by Worli police but he reportedly surrendered himself to the police in Borivali, 72 hours after the accident that resulted in the death of 45-year-old Kaveri Nakhwa and injuries to her husband, Pradeep Nakhwa (50), on July 7.
A crucial 72-hour delay in his arrest provided Shah the opportunity to detoxify the alcohol from his system, resulting in negative blood and urine reports. The delay has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the investigation and could potentially undermine the charges against him since alcohol intoxication was a significant factor in the case. The blood report predictably does not mention about any trace of alcohol.
The Worli police had claimed in a press note that they have arrested Mihir Shah and detained his friend from Virar Phata. The police also said that accused allegedly attempted to evade capture by getting a new haircut at a salon in Virar area.
According to sources, “the Worli police did not arrest Shah in Virar; instead, he allegedly surrendered to the police in Borivali.”
The sources also said, “A 15-minute delay by Mumbai police reaching Shah's residence allegedly allowed him and his family to escape from his house in Borivali in an Audi car, leading to a 72-hour delay in his arrest.”
As per sources, when a police squad detained a family member in a Shahapur resort and inquired about the accused, they immediately contacted Shah's father Rajesh , who then allegedly managed to hide Mihir for 72 hours to detoxify the alcohol from his system.
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Rajesh Shah was a deputy leader of the Shiv Sena party in Palghar district, but was removed from his position following the incident.
The investigation found that Pooja Shah(30), the elder sister of the accused, allegedly took him from their house to a resort in Shahapur, along with family members and friends. The crime branch had detained Shah’s family and three friends at the resort, but none was booked by Worli police for abetting his escape.
On July 7, around 6:00 to 6:30 am, the control room received a call from an unknown person reporting a horrific accident and the body of an unknown individual near Worli Sea Face. About 45 minutes later, Pradeep Nakhva, the husband of the victim, arrived at the police station, and narrated the entire incident, and sought help.
Meanwhile, the Shahs' driver Rajrishi Bidawat(31), allegedly contacted the accused's father and following his instructions, took charge of the car. The driver left the vehicle in Kalanagar, Bandra (east). From there, Mihir Shah went to his girlfriend's house in Goregaon, while the driver went to Shah's house to report the incident.
Later, Mihir's female friend dropped him at his house, and around 11.00 am his family took him to the resort.
On the same day, the police arrested Bidawat and the accused's father. The next day, the court granted bail to the father.
The opposition parties raised significant questions on the government after the police failed to arrest the accused, Shah, within 24 hours of the incident.
Both accused individuals are currently in judicial custody, and the family members of the deceased are demanding that the case be fast-tracked.
