A speeding BMW collided with a couple on a two-wheeler in Mumbai's Worli area early morning on July 7, resulting in the death of the woman.
The accident occurred around 5:30 am when Kaveri Nakva and her husband Pradeep Nakva, residents of Koliwada, were returning from Sassoon Dock with their morning catch of fish.
As they rode their two-wheeler, a BMW approached them at high speed and struck their vehicle from behind. The impact was so severe that the bike overturned, and both Kaveri and Pradeep were thrown onto the car's bonnet.
Pradeep managed to jump off in time, but Kaveri could not. She was dragged for approximately 100 meters as the driver attempted to flee the scene.
Immediately after the incident, passersby rushed Kaveri to the nearest hospital where she was declared brought dead. Meanwhile, Pradeep sustained injuries and is currently receiving treatment.
The driver of the BMW has been identified as 24-year-old Mihir Shah, the son of Rajesh Shah, who is a prominent member of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's faction of Shiv Sena.
While Mihir is currently absconding, his father Rajesh, deputy leader of the Shinde Sena in Palghar district, and his driver, Rajshree Bijawat, have been taken in police custody for questioning.
Pradeep, who suffered minor injuries, has been at the police station since morning. "The accident happened at 5.30 am, the car came from behind and rammed into the scooter. I fell on the left side, but my wife was dragged through the road," an emotional Pradeep said while talking to media.
“I have two children, what will I do? These are big people, nobody will do anything, we will suffer," he added.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and MLA Aditya Thackeray said he does not want to give the incident a political color calling for the arrest of the person responsible fro the accident. “I don’t want to make this political. Whoever the driver is, should be arrested,” he said.
Police investigations have revealed that Mihir, who was driving the BMW at the time of the accident, was intoxicated. He had been allegedly drinking at a bar in Juhu the previous night.
On his way home, Mihir asked his driver to take him on a long drive. The car eventually reached Worli, where Shah insisted on taking the wheel.
Shortly after assuming control, he lost balance of the speeding vehicle, crashing into the scooter carrying the couple.
The Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Shiv Sena leader, Eknath Shinde has described the incident as "unfortunate" and has assured that necessary action will be taken.
He stated, “The law will take its own course, everyone is equal before the law. I have spoken to the police and strict action will be taken.”
The Mumbai police have launched a thorough investigation into the hit-and-run case. Efforts are being made to locate Mihir Shah, and the authorities are examining CCTV footage from the area to gather more evidence.
This incident is the latest in high-speed collisions involving luxury cars and high-profile individuals.
In May this year, a Porsche was involved in a similar hit-and-run case in Pune, driven by an intoxicated minor, which rammed into a motorbike, killing two people on the spot.
