Mumbai Hit-N-Run Case: Sewree Court Remands Mihir Shah, Son Of Shinde Sena Leader To Police Custody Till July 16

Mumbai's hit-and-run case's prime accused Mihir Shah, who mowed down a 45-year-old woman in Worli on July 07, was remanded to Police custody till July 16 by the Sewree court on Wednesday.

Mihir, the son of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's close aide, Rajesh Shah, was arrested on Tuesday from Virar, where he was allegedly hiding with his family and friends for at least 72 hours.

After being arrested, Mihir was produced before the Sewree Court, where the police sought maximum period for his custody. To make out a case for maximum possible custody, the police highlighted the fact that the accused Mihir had been on the run and successfully evaded his arrest for nearly 72 hours.

The police also informed the court about Mihir trimming his hair and beard to mislead the investigating officers. It said that it needs to confront Mihir with other witnesses' statements. Already, the police said, that they have matched the statements of the family driver - Rajrishi Bidawat, who had allegedly helped Mihir to escape from the crime scene.

To further substantiate its contentions, the police relied upon the CCTV footages, which shows that Mihir initially consumed alcohol in a bar and thereafter dashed his car to the motorcycle of the victims - the Nakhwa couple, wherein Kaveri was dragged to at least 2 kilometers. Later, as per the CCTV footages, Mihir stopped the car and removed the body of Kaveri, which was stuck in between the tyre and the bonnet and dumped it on the road.

According to the police, Mihir, who was seen driving the vehicle, later changed his seat with the driver Bidawat, who then crushed the woman's body while fleeing from the spot.

On Wednesday, advocate Sudhir Bhardwaj representing Mihir told the court that there was no need for his client's custodial interrogation. He told the court that Mihir's statements were recorded in front of the driver and that their statements matched. The counsel further opposed the remand as sought by the police on the ground that the police already has sufficient material with it, especially the CCTV footages.

However, the police argued that certain aspects of the case need to be clarified by the accused Mihir. It said that it needs clarity on how he managed to evade his arrest for 72 hours, how and where did he dispose of the broken number plate of the vehicle in question.

Having heard the contentions, the court granted six days custody to the police and remanded Mihir in police custody till July 16.

Notably, his father - Rajesh Shah was bailed out by a Court on Monday, while the driver continues to be in custody. It is alleged by the prosecution that the driver has been misleading the police and that he changed the seats on instructions of Rajesh Shah.