Mihir Shah admits he was driving BMW car at time of crash: Police
Mumbai (PTI): Mihir Shah, the prime accused in the Mumbai BMW hit-and-run case, has told the police he was driving the car at the time of the crash which killed a woman and injured her husband, officials said citing the probe carried out so far.
After crashing into the couple's scooter in the early hours of Sunday, Shah was very much aware that the woman was stuck in one of the tyres of the luxury car, but still he drove recklessly and did not stop though motorists passing by frantically signalled and shouted, asking him to halt, an official said on Wednesday.
To conceal his identity, Shah shaved his beard and trimmed his hair, the official said, adding they were trying to find out if anyone helped him in changing his appearance.
The 24-year-old accused, who is in police custody till July 16, has claimed he possesses a driving licence, but the document was yet to be recovered, he said.
So far, the statements of 14 persons, including Mihir Shah's mother, sisters and friends, have been recorded, the official said.
The police are likely to visit the crash spot in Worli area of south-central Mumbai and re-construct the entire crime scene as part of their investigation, he said.
Mihir Shah's father Rajesh Shah, a Shiv Sena politician from adjoining Palghar district, is also an accused in the case and currently out on bail.
Police arrested Mihir Shah on Tuesday from neighbouring Thane district, two days after he allegedly rammed his BMW car into a two-wheeler, killing Kaveri Nakhwa (45), who was riding pillion, and injuring her husband Pradeep.
The horrific accident was captured in CCTV cameras of the police installed at Mela Junction and Bindu Madhav Thackeray Chowk in Worli.
After crossing the Bindu Madhav Thackeray Chowk, other motorists asked Mihir Shah to stop the car, but he did not listen to them and continued driving, according to the official.
During interrogation, the accused, whose family chauffeur was sitting besides him, admitted he was behind the wheel at the time of the crash, but did not tell the police from which point he started driving and till when, he said.
Mihir Shah is not cooperating in the investigation, as per the official.
The police have booked him for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, among other charges.
After the accident, the prime accused, his family members, who stay in Mumbai's Borivali area, and his grandfather, who resides in Palghar, left their respective homes and remained untraceable.
The police will bring Rajrishi Bidawat, the family chauffeur, and Mihir Shah face to face to get more information about the crash and to know the entire sequence of events, the official said.
Bidawat, who was accompanying Mihir Shah at the time of the crash, is also an accused in the case.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Right to vote under threat, must be made fundamental right: Cong's Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Thursday that the right to vote is under threat and the time has come when it should be made a fundamental right for citizens.
Speaking with reporters, Ramesh lashed out at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying the Election Commission (EC) has never been as compromised as it has been under him.
"The rot started under his predecessor. This man is a player and not a neutral observer," the Congress leader said, slamming Kumar.
Kumar is completely compromised and has become a player in elections, he alleged.
"Home Minister Amit Shah had talked about three Ds -- detect, delete and deport. So we want to know how many non-Indian citizens have been detected, how many have been deleted and how many have been deported," Ramesh said, adding that the right to vote is now under threat.
On opposition parties submitting a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha, seeking to move a motion for the CEC's removal, the Congress leader said they will continue to make efforts for Kumar's removal as he is "compromised".
Ramesh also batted for the right to vote to be recognised as a fundamental right.
"I believe that the time has come that the right to vote should be made a fundamental right. It is a statutory right, it is not a fundamental right. Fundamental rights are justiciable," he said.
The former Union minister said this was discussed in the Constituent Assembly, but it was eventually decided that it should be made part of the Constitution.
B R Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram had warned that in the future, governments might try to disenfranchise voters, he added.
"Once and for all, include the right to vote as a fundamental right for Indian citizens," Ramesh asserted.
