Worli hit-and-run case: How is it our fault, say sources

BMC demolishes illegal portions of the Vice Global Tapas Bar. Pics/Anurag Ahire

Did the son of a Shiv Sena leader and the accused in the Worli hit-and-run case mislead the Juhu bar about his age to drink hard liquor like Jack Daniel's whiskey? This is the question the Worli police are trying to ascertain to strengthen their case against Mihir Shah. Officials have collected details of Shah and his friends from the bar where they allegedly consumed alcohol before leaving. Shah's three friends were over 30, and records show that Shah is 23 years old.

However, the bar claims that Shah produced an identity card showing his age as 27, which is also reflected in his Facebook posts. Officials are currently verifying this claim. Sources from Vice Global Tapas Bar, accused of serving hard alcohol to the hit-and-run suspect, claim they did nothing wrong, yet their bar is being sealed by authorities. The bar's representatives assert that they checked the identity cards of the group accompanying Shah, noting that most of the individuals were over 30 years old, and Shah himself was listed as 27 on both his ID card and his Facebook page.

The staff, familiar with these regular customers, insist they followed all procedures before serving alcohol. "What wrong have we done? Someone comes to our restaurant, and we serve him what he wants after verifying his identity card. If he goes out and has an accident, how is that our fault? Our bar has been sealed until July 19, causing us a daily loss of Rs 5 lakh. Additionally, the BMC has demolished part of our restaurant, claiming it was illegal, without any notice," they said.

Mihir Shah being produced in Sewri court. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

The Maharashtra Excise Department took action against the bar on Tuesday for not having a permit to serve hard liquor and because the accused, Shah, was 23 years old. According to regulations, hard liquor like Jack Daniel's can only be served to individuals 25 and older. "We served Jack Daniel's and Red Bull, but we don't know who drank what. The identity card showed the person was above 30, and Shah's age was 27," the source added.

"We are verifying who drank what, but initial details suggest all four had at least two to three pegs," an officer stated. The BMC's K West Ward demolished the allegedly illegal portion of the bar on Wednesday, stating that the kitchen and loft were built illegally at the entrance and hence the same is being demolished. However, bar representatives claim there was nothing illegal and that the demolition was carried out without any prior notice.

23
Mihir's age as per records

27
Mihir's age as per his ID card and FB page