Mumbai Police yet to get evidence on luxury car`s hit-and-run incident

Mumbai: Mumbai Police, probing the hit-and-run case involving a luxury car, that belongs to Reliance company, is yet to obtain a substantial evidence in the case even as the statement of the driver, who showed up before the police insisting he was behind the wheels at the time of the accident, has been recorded.

Police have not arrested the driver Bansilal Joshi (55), employed with Mukesh Ambani family, but recorded his statement Monday late night stating they are not yet sure whether Joshi or someone matching the complainant`s description was driving the car. "The reason for not arresting Joshi is that we suspect somebody else may be involved in the accident. We are not completely ruling out that Joshi was not the person behind the wheels at the time of the incident but we want to make ourselves sure with substantial evidence against him before placing him under arrest," said an officer at Gamdevi police station. Police are also probing if Joshi is taking the blame to protect somebody else. Joshi claimed he was frightened after the accident, because of which he had escaped from the spot. The incident had occurred at around 1.30 am on Sunday when the luxury car Aston Martin was being driven at breakneck speed from Peddar Road towards Haji Ali. The person behind the wheels allegedly lost control of the vehicle and rammed into an Audi in front of it. As soon as it hit the Audi, the front right wheel of the vehicle came off and the Audi crossed over the divider and hit a luxury bus. The Aston Martin continued to move further on three wheels and collided with a Hyundai Elantra. The driver of the luxury car fled the spot as soon as the vehicle ground to a halt. According to police, Joshi, who has been with the Ambani family for several years now, has been usually tasked with driving Akash, son of Mukesh Ambani. Joshi said he was assigned to ride Akash somewhere on Sunday morning and decided to test the car in the middle of the night. Joshi said he first drove to Marine Drive around 1.30 am via Pedder Road and Babulnath and was returning on the same route when the accident had happened on Peddar Road. The police have also roped in forensic experts to look for fingerprints in the car and its exteriors. They have sent Joshi`s fingerprints for examination. The police have also asked for call records of Joshi`s mobile phone to verify his whereabouts at the time of the incident.