The main accused, Mihir Shah, told police that the BMW he was driving hit a couple's motorcycle, killing a 45-year-old woman. (Photo: @sirajnoorani/X)
Mihir Shah was arrested from Thane district two days after he allegedly rammed his BMW into a two-wheeler, killing Kaveri, a woman who was sitting on the back seat Kaveri Nakhwa (45) died and her husband Pradeep was injured.
The blood and urine samples of 24-year-old Mihir Shah, the accused in the hit-and-run case involving a luxury BMW sedan in Worli, Mumbai, have tested negative for alcohol, rejecting the suggestion of drunken driving.
According to the forensic report, no traces of alcohol were found in Shah's blood and urine samples, despite reports that he was “very drunk” at the time of the horrific collision. The latest developments put police in a difficult position.
If drunk driving is suspected, standard procedure is to conduct a breathalyzer test. However, these tests may not be valid if taken more than 12 hours after the last drink. Shah, whose father belonged to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's now-disbanded Shiv Sena faction, managed to evade arrest for two days.
Police reports said Shah was arrested about 58 hours after the incident, a delay that likely allowed the alcohol to be removed from his system.
Following his arrest, samples of his blood and urine were sent for testing and reports were received by Worli police yesterday. A positive forensic report indicating he was drunk would have bolstered the police case, but without it they will now have to rely on circumstantial evidence in court.
Mihir Shah arrested
Mihir Shah was arrested from Thane district two days after he allegedly rammed his BMW into a two-wheeler, killing Kaveri, a woman who was sitting on the back seat Kaveri Nakhwa (45) died and her husband Pradeep was injured.
After crashing into the couple's motorcycle, Mihir Shah knew full well that the woman was trapped in one of the limousine's tires, but he drove recklessly despite frantic gestures and shouts from passing drivers , asking him to stop, but he did not.
The horrific incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed by the police at Mela Junction in Worli and Bindu Madhav Thackeray Chowk.
According to the official, after crossing Bindu Madhav Thackeray Chowk, other motorists asked Mihir Shah to stop the car, but he did not listen to them and continued driving.
He said the defendant's family driver, who was sitting next to him during the interrogation, admitted he was behind the wheel when the accident occurred but did not tell police at what point or until what time he started driving.
