Bollywood filmmaker Ashwini Dhir's 18-year-old son, Jalaj Dhir, tragically lost his life in a major car accident in Mumbai on the early morning of November 23. Jalaj was with three friends when the car they were in crashed into a divider on the Western Express Highway near Vile Parle. The group had set off on a late-night drive from Bandra to Goregaon. One of the friends, 18-year-old Sahil Mendha, was driving the car and was reportedly under the influence of alcohol. According to reports, Mendha lost control of the vehicle near the Sahara Star Hotel, causing it to collide with the divider on the northbound side of the road. Jalaj and another friend, 18-year-old Sarth Kaushik, who were sitting in the back seat, were seriously injured and later died after being rushed to the hospital.
Based on the statement of the fourth friend in the car, 18-year-old Jedan Jimmy, Mendha was arrested by the Mumbai Police. Mendha's blood samples have been sent for testing to determine if alcohol was present in his system. According to Jimmy’s account, he and Mendha had taken a cab to Jalaj's house in Goregaon East on the afternoon of November 22. After spending some time there, they went to visit their friend Jia Mehta in Andheri, arriving around 7:30 pm. At Jia's house, Mendha consumed two pegs of vodka, while Jimmy had one.
The two returned to Jalaj’s house by 11 pm, and Sarthak joined them a couple of hours later. After playing video games, the four decided to go for a drive to Bandra around 3:30 am. While Jimmy initially drove, Mendha later took over the wheel. By 4:10 am, they reached Bandra, and on the return journey, Mendha was reportedly driving at speeds of 120–150 km/h. According to Jimmy, Mendha became confused about the directions near the Sahara Star Hotel, lost control of the car, and crashed into the divider.
While Jimmy and Mendha sustained minor injuries, Jalaj and Sarthak were critically injured. With the help of bystanders, Jimmy rushed Jalaj to Jogeshwari East Trauma Hospital. Jalaj was later transferred to Kokilaben Hospital, where he was declared dead. Meanwhile, Mendha took Sarthak to Bhabha Hospital in Bandra West, where he was also pronounced dead. Jimmy subsequently filed a police complaint. Ashwini Dhir, is known for films like Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge and Son of Sardar.