It was supposed to be a routine early morning trip to the local fish market for Kaveri and Pradip Nakhwa, a hardworking couple from Mumbai’s Worli neighborhood. Little did they know that their lives were about to be upended in the most devastating way.
On a fateful Sunday morning, the Nakhwas were riding their trusty scooter back home after purchasing fresh catch from the Sassoon Docks. Unbeknownst to them, a speeding BMW driven by the son of a prominent Shiv Sena leader was hurtling down the road, driven by a need for speed that would soon turn deadly.
In a matter of seconds, the luxury vehicle slammed into the couple’s two-wheeler, sending them flying onto the car’s hood. Kaveri, a 45-year-old fisherwoman, was thrown off the car and succumbed to her injuries at the scene. Her husband Pradip, 52, sustained serious injuries as the BMW dragged them nearly 100 meters down the road.
The luxury car involved in the crash was allegedly driven by Mihir Shah, the son of Rajesh Shah, a Palghar leader of the ruling MahaYuti alliance’s Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Mihir, a 24-year-old, had reportedly gone for a late-night party with friends in the Juhu area and was making his way home when the horrific incident occurred. Witnesses claim that he had insisted on taking the wheel of the BMW, despite his driver’s protests, and it was in this state of inebriation and recklessness that he plowed into the unsuspecting Nakhwa couple.
In the immediate aftermath of the crash, Mihir Shah fled the scene, leaving behind the devastated Nakhwa family and a trail of evidence that would soon catch up with him. The Mumbai Police, acting swiftly, arrested Shiv Sena leader Rajesh Shah, Mihir’s father, as well as the family’s driver, Rajrishi Rajendrasingh Bidawat, who was present during the accident.
Both Rajesh Shah and Bidawat have been booked under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the new penal code that recently replaced the Indian Penal Code, including charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Meanwhile, the authorities have issued a Look Out Circular (LoC) against the absconding Mihir Shah, suspecting that he may attempt to flee the country to evade arrest.
Pradip Nakhwa, the grieving husband of the deceased Kaveri, recounted the harrowing incident with tears in his eyes. “It happened right in front of me… The car rammed us… I saw him [Mihir Shah] inside the car… and asked him to stop, but he ran away from there,” he said, his voice choking with emotion.
The Nakhwa family’s world has been shattered by the sudden and senseless loss of Kaveri, a hardworking fisherwoman who was the primary breadwinner for the household. Their cries for justice have reverberated across the city, amplified by the political ramifications of the case.
Shiv Sena factions clash over the incident
The BMW hit-and-run case has further exacerbated the already tumultuous political landscape within the Shiv Sena, as the two warring factions grapple with the fallout. The Shiv Sena-UBT, led by Uddhav Thackeray, has seized the opportunity to attack the Eknath Shinde-led government, accusing it of shielding the accused and wielding political influence.
In contrast, the Shinde faction has sought to distance itself from the incident, with the Chief Minister emphasizing that the law will be applied equally, regardless of one’s political affiliations. However, the damage to the party’s image has already been done, and the BMW hit-and-run case has become a symbol of the Shiv Sena’s internal divisions and the perceived lack of accountability among its leaders.
Aaditya Thackeray, the MLA from Worli and a leader of the Shiv Sena-UBT (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction, has strongly condemned the incident and demanded immediate action against the accused. Thackeray visited the Worli police station and the Nakhwa family, assuring them that his party would do everything in its power to ensure justice. In contrast, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who heads the rival Shiv Sena faction, has maintained that the law will take its course and that no one will be spared, regardless of their political affiliations.
The BMW hit-and-run case has drawn eerie parallels to a similar incident that occurred in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar area just two months ago. In that case, two IT professionals were killed when a Porsche, driven by an inebriated minor, rammed into their motorcycle.
The Pune case made national headlines after the accused was granted bail by the Juvenile Justice Board on lenient terms, and the police uncovered an alleged effort by the accused’s parents and doctors to tamper with evidence and shift blame onto the family driver. The teen is back out on the streets after the Bombay High Court, in its infinite wisdom, declared that the accused had to be released from detention.
The BMW hit-and-run case in Mumbai and the Porsche crash in Pune have exposed a deeper societal issue – the sense of entitlement and recklessness that often plagues the privileged elite, who believe they are above the law.
These incidents highlight the urgent need for stricter enforcement of traffic laws, harsher penalties for drunk driving, and a more comprehensive approach to addressing the growing problem of road accidents caused by the wealthy and influential. The families of the victims deserve justice, but more importantly, these tragedies must serve as a wake-up call for meaningful reforms to prevent such senseless loss of life in the future.
As the investigation into the BMW hit-and-run case progresses, all eyes will be on the judicial system to ensure that justice is served swiftly and effectively. The charges against Rajesh Shah, Mihir Shah, and the family driver must be rigorously pursued, with no room for leniency or political interference.
Stricter sentencing guidelines, increased fines, and the seizure of vehicles involved in such incidents are just some of the measures that can be taken to deter future acts of wanton disregard for human life. The fight for safer roads must go beyond just this case, encompassing a comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of reckless driving, drunk driving, and the perceived immunity enjoyed by the privileged. Only then can we truly honour the memory of Kaveri Nakhwa and ensure that her untimely death was not in vain.
