Court Releases Father of Absconding Accused, Mihir Shah, Amid Ongoing Investigation
(The car involved in the accident)
In Short:
- Bail Granted: Rajesh Shah granted bail for Rs 15,000
- Judicial Custody: Shah and driver sent to judicial and police custody respectively
- Accusations: Accused of helping son escape after fatal hit-and-run
- Ongoing Investigation: Six teams formed to arrest absconding Mihir Shah
- Suspected Drunk Driving: Mihir Shah was allegedly intoxicated during the incident
In a recent turn of events in the Worli hit-and-run case, a Mumbai court granted bail to Rajesh Shah, a Shiv Sena leader and father of the main accused, Mihir Shah. Rajesh Shah received a provisional cash bail of Rs 15,000 on Monday after initially being placed in 14-day judicial custody. Alongside him, the court also sent the family’s driver, Rajrishi Rajendra Singh Bidawat, to one day of police custody.
During the hearing, police revealed that the victim was dragged for nearly one and a half kilometers before being removed from the car’s bumper and run over again. These details were corroborated by CCTV footage obtained during the investigation.
Rajesh Shah and Bidawat were apprehended on Sunday for allegedly aiding Mihir Shah in fleeing the scene post-accident. The police charged all three individuals with various offenses, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Mihir Shah remains at large, with six police teams actively searching for him. Additionally, a Look Out Circular (LOC) has been issued to prevent Mihir from leaving the country.
Further investigation uncovered that Bidawat was with Mihir in the car during the incident. It was also discovered that Mihir was in continuous contact with his father, Rajesh Shah, immediately after the accident. Allegedly, Rajesh Shah instructed Mihir to switch seats with the driver, Bidawat.
Police suspect that Mihir Shah was under the influence of alcohol during the incident, as he was seen at a bar in Juhu a few hours earlier. Officials found a bar bill totaling Rs 18,000, which they are currently verifying. CCTV footage from the bar is also being reviewed as part of the ongoing investigation.