Worli hit-and-run case: Bar’s licence temporarily suspended for serving booze past permitted hrs

Accused Mihir Shah (right) The BMW car involved in the accident is now in custody of the Worli police. Pic/Ashish Raje

The Maharashtra Excise Department has temporarily suspended Malad's Sai Prasad Bar's licence until further notice for allegedly serving the prime accused, Mihir Shah, four beer cans beyond the permitted time limit. The bar is facing scrutiny for several alleged violations. mid-day spoke with excise officers, who elaborated on the reasons for the suspension.

"The bar owner failed to provide any CCTV footage for the past two months. We suspect the owner deleted the footage out of fear. The bar served alcohol through the back doors after the permitted time limit. A notice had been issued to produce the CCTV footage, but it was not provided," said an excise officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

According to the excise officer, the bar allegedly purchased liquor from wine shops rather than the transit permit mall. "The bar was buying liquor from wine shops to evade GST," said the officer. According to the Worli police, a waiter reported that two people purchased four cans of beer after 1.30 am on July 7, the day of the incident.

The excise officer revealed that the data on the Naukarnama (servant licence) did not match. "The bar owner is Jyoti Shetty, but the names of the two people running the bar on her behalf are missing," the officer said.

Pending challans

Meanwhile, the police investigation revealed that the BMW allegedly driven by Mihir Shah is owned by Rajesh Doshi, a resident of Palghar. The car has four unpaid challans for exceeding the speed limit. According to the police, "On November 7, 2023, the car was at the Panvel toll naka and exceeded the speed limit, resulting in a fine of R2,000." The police also noted, "The car was observed exceeding the speed limit at Khalapur toll naka in February of last year."

A challan was issued on May 16, 2023, for causing danger, obstruction, or undue inconvenience to other public space users. The police are investigating the location of this violation. According to Mumbai police records, the car is owned by Rajesh Doshi, who allegedly sold it to Shah. "We are checking the car's documents," said the police.

Kin demands justice

Kaveri Nakhwa was dragged by Mihir Shah and then rammed by the driver, Rajrishi Bidawat, in the Worli area. The Nakhwa family has requested a fast-track investigation into the matter. "We have full faith in the judiciary and request a fast-track investigation. We do not want this matter to be politicised. We seek justice for the loss of our family member. Mihir and the other accused should be punished according to the law," said Pradeep Nakhwa, husband of Kaveri and a survivor of the incident.