Worli hit-and-run: Accused have no regard for human life, says Bombay HC 

Refusing bail to the accused, the Bombay High Court observed that Mihir Shah had no regard for human life as he and his driver had fled the spot after mowing down the victim.

The Bombay High Court on Thursday (November 27, 2024) described the Worli hit-and-run accused Mihir Shah and his driver, Rajrishi Bidawad, as people who have no regard for human life.

Also Read: HC refuses to release prime accused Mihir Shah on ground of ‘illegal’ arrest

A Division Bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande on November 25 had dismissed the habeas corpus petitions filed by the accused who challenged their arrests. They had argued that, according to the Supreme Court mandate, they were not served notice with the grounds of arrest in the written format, and this made their arrest illegal. 

Also Read: How did police track down accused Mihir Shah

In a detailed order, the Bench observed on Thursday (November 28, 2024), “Having no regard to human life, the petitioners are alleged to have fled away from the spot and not only this, the petitioner, Mihir Shah, went absconding and was required to be arrested after two days. We must record that both the petitioners are conscious of their serious act of hitting the moped driven by the complainant, by the BMW car which was being driven by Mihir Shah with Rajrishi sitting next to the driving seat and the car being driven in a rash and negligent manner, with Mihir having consumed alcohol, when the mishap occurred.” 

Shah, 24, is the son of Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde’s close aide Rajesh Shah. On July 7, he allegedly rammed a two-wheeler with his car killing the pillion rider Kaveri Nakhwa and injuring her husband Pradeep Liladhar Nakhwa. He was arrested on July 9.

Also Read: Accused dragged deceased for 1.5 km; husband questions delay in arrest of accused Mihir Shah

“We are of the opinion that at some point of time, right of the victim must also be prioritized and this is a case where we feel that acting in utter derogation of respect to human life, the petitioners, mowed down, the wife of the complainant and in utter disregard to any humanitarian conduct, ruthlessly the vehicle was driven with her body being entangled between the bonnet and the wheels,” the order read.  

According to police, Shah admitted to hitting the two-wheeler under the influence of alcohol, the incident was recorded on CCTV camera. He admitted that he dragged Kaveri with his car and then fled towards the Bandra Worli Sea Link. He then swapped seats with the driver, took an auto-rickshaw from Bandra East’s Kala Nagar and went to a friend’s house in Goregaon. Since then, he was on the run and moved to Borivali and then to a resort in Thane. While Shah was arrested two days after the incident, the driver was arrested the same day. 

The Bench noted that it was a “tormentous and unfortunate day for Pradeep Liladhar Nakhwa”, and that the Bench was aware of the despair the family is going through.  

“For too long, the victims of crimes have been the forgotten persons in a criminal justice system. Crime is not a problem of the victim, since the victim did not create it,” the order read.  

The judges observed that there was sufficient evidence in the form of CCTV footage that shows Shah was driving the car. “In one CCTV footage from the toll (booth) at Worli sea link, it is the young boy, who was seen in the driving seat and the white colour car is seen to be damaged at the front end. At the landing of the sea link, the person driving the car again exchanged his seat with the person who was sitting on the next seat,” the order said. 

The order said that the judges found no merit in the petitions, praying that their release on the grounds of illegal arrest, and dismissed them.

Published - November 29, 2024 01:43 am IST