Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray attacked Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday over the Mumbai BMW hit-and-run case, urging him to cease “grandstanding” to divert attention from the incident.
“The Chief Minister must halt his grandstanding to distract from the hit-and-run case. It’s evident that the accused, Mihir Rajesh Shah, must be apprehended and brought to justice. All the posturing about his concern and directives to the police are merely eyewash,” Thackeray stated in a post on X.
The illegal cm must stop the grandstanding to divert attention from the hit and run case.
It is clear, the accused, Mihir Rajesh Shah, must be caught and brought to justice.
All the grandstanding about his concern and directives to the police, is simply an eye wash.
With all…
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) July 9, 2024
“With the extensive CCTV camera network and intelligence in place, why haven’t they apprehended the suspect within 48 hours? Will the Chief Minister or the Home Minister explain why they have failed to locate and arrest him? Is it due to the Home Department’s failure, issues with the CCTV, or simply political connections delaying the arrest?” he added.
The incident occurred in Worli on Sunday, where a BMW car struck a couple riding a bike, resulting in the death of the woman and injury to her husband.
Following the incident, Chief Minister Shinde directed the Mumbai Police Commissioner on Monday to crack down on cases of drunk driving and instructed authorities to conduct stringent checks on drivers across all roads, squares, and crowded areas.
Worli Police reported on Monday that Rajesh Shah, father of the accused Mihir Shah, had made multiple calls to the 24-year-old following the accident. Police also revealed that prior to the incident, Mihir had visited a pub in Juhu with friends for a party, and statements from three friends present with him before the incident have been recorded.
Mumbai Police have formed 14 teams to apprehend Mihir Shah, who has been missing since the BMW he allegedly drove collided with a scooter on Dr Annie Besant Road in Worli. A lookout notice has been issued for Mihir, who is currently evading capture.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed concern over the “increase in hit-and-run incidents in Maharashtra,” pledging that those responsible would not escape justice and urging the police to take decisive action.
“No one, whether wealthy, influential, or related to bureaucrats or ministers from any party, will receive immunity as long as I am Chief Minister of the State. I have zero tolerance for injustice,” Shinde declared in a statement on X.
On July 7, Rajesh Shah and another individual, Raj Rishi Rajendra Singh Vidawat, were arrested for non-cooperation with the police. The 45-year-old woman killed in the July 7 incident was identified as Kaveri Nakhwa, a resident of Worli Koliwada. She was riding pillion on the scooter driven by her husband, who is currently hospitalized for injuries sustained during the incident, according to police.
“A BMW car struck two people riding a bike. The woman died, and the other person was injured. The incident occurred at 5:30 am as the couple was passing Atria Mall in Worli,” a statement from the Mumbai Police detailing the incident revealed.
“After the incident, the driver fled the scene with his car. The accident occurred while the fishing community couple was returning home after purchasing fish. The husband managed to leap off the speeding vehicle. The woman, injured in the accident, succumbed during treatment,” police stated.
Police also confirmed that the luxury car belonged to a leader of a political party based in Maharashtra’s Palghar.
The Worli incident occurred less than two months after a Pune case in which a Porsche car, allegedly driven by a 17-year-old intoxicated boy, collided with a motorcycle, resulting in the deaths of two software engineers in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar area in the early hours of May 19.
