A tragic incident mirroring a recent hit-and-run case in Mumbai has unfolded in Rajkot, Gujarat, where a 60-year-old woman lost her life. According to police, the incident occurred on the outskirts of Rajkot on Thursday night, resulting in the death of Vijyaben Bathwar. Shockingly, the woman was reportedly dragged for 1.5 kilometers by the car that struck her.
DCP Zone-2, Jagdish Bangarwa, revealed that an FIR has been registered and the car, belonging to a resident of Dhoraji, has been impounded. Police are actively pursuing the identification and location of the accused driver.
This incident comes close on the heels of the Mumbai hit-and-run case where Mihir Shah, the accused, was apprehended from Virar. Shah, who had been absconding for two days, was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol when the car he was driving struck a scooter in Mumbai’s Worli area on July 7, causing the death of 45-year-old Kaveri Nakhwa and injuries to her husband Pradip.
In an attempt to gather more information, the Mumbai police reconstructed the accident scene and confronted Mihir Shah (24) with his family driver and co-accused Rajrishi Bidawat, who was in the car during the collision. Following his police remand, Bidawat was presented before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (Sewree court) S P Bhosale and remanded to 14-day judicial custody.
According to police investigations, Bidawat exchanged seats with Mihir Shah after the crash, allegedly at the instruction of Shah’s politician father Rajesh Shah. Rajesh Shah was also arrested, but the court granted him bail the following day. Shiv Sena, the political party Rajesh Shah was affiliated with, suspended him from the post of Deputy Leader in Palghar.
The accused individuals have been charged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). Meanwhile, the authorities took action by demolishing a portion of a bar where Mihir and his companions had been drinking hours prior to the accident. These two incidents highlight the growing concern over reckless driving and its devastating consequences, prompting a call for stricter measures to ensure road safety.
