A woman was killed and her husband injured after a BMW car, allegedly driven by the son of a Shiv Sena leader, crashed into their bike on Sunday morning in Mumbai, The Indian Express reported.
The woman, identified as Kaveri Nakhwa, was a resident of the Worli Koliwada area. After the crash, she was dragged on the bonnet of the car for around 100 metres leading to her death, the newspaper reported quoting unidentified police officials. The crash took place in the Worli area.
Her husband Pradeep Nakhava, who sustained injuries, was undergoing medical treatment at a hospital.
Mihir Shah, 24, was driving the car at the time of the crash, NDTV quoted senior police officer Krishnakant Upadhyay as saying. The police are still searching for him, The Indian Express reported.
The police have registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rash driving and destruction of evidence, among others, under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, NDTV reported. Provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act have also been invoked.
Mihir Shah’s father and the owner of the vehicle, Rajesh Shah, and driver Rajrishi Rajendrasingh Bidawat were detained by the police for inquiry, The Indian Express reported. Bidawat was allegedly present in the car at the time of the crash, the Hindustan Times reported.
Rajesh Shah is a leader of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction in the Palghar district, according to India Today.
Shinde said that strict action will be taken in the matter.
“I had a conversation with the police,” ANI quoted Shinde as saying on Sunday. “Whoever is guilty, action will be taken against them... We treat everyone equally. Strict action will be taken according to the law. Everyone is equal before the law.”
Aaditya Thackeray, leader of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction, met the victim’s husband on Sunday.
“I will not go into the political leanings of Mr Shah, the accused of the hit and run, but I hope the police will act swiftly to catch the accused and bring him to justice,” he said on social media. “Hopefully there will be no political refuge by the regime.”
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