Former Intel India country head Avtar Saini was killed after a speeding cab hit him while he was cycling in Navi Mumbai township of Maharashtra, news agency PTI reported citing police officials on Thursday.
The accident took place at around 5.50 am on Wednesday when Saini (68) was riding a bicycle along with fellow cyclists on the Palm Beach Road in Nerul area, an official told PTI.
According to the report, the speeding cab hit Saini's bicycle from behind and the driver then tried to escape from the spot, with the bicycle's frame wedged under the front wheels of the cab.
Saini received injuries and the fellow cyclists rushed him to a hospital where he was declared dead on arrival, as per the report.
According to PTI, the police have registered an FIR against the cab driver under various Indian Penal Code sections, including 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing hurt by doing an act rashly or negligently so as to endanger human life) and 304-A (causing death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide), and provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.
The accused has not yet been arrested, PTI report said citing an official from the NRI police station.
His son and daughter, who live in the US, were informed about the incident, and are on their way to India. “His other relatives who are based out of Mumbai had reached the hospital to claim the body. He had lost his wife a few years back to illness and he stayed in Chembur when he came to Mumbai,” Hindustan Times reported citing police.
According to Indian Express, Gokul V Subramaniam, Intel India president, said on social media: “At Intel, we are saddened by the demise of former country manager & director Intel South Asia, Avtar Saini. Avtar played a key role in setting up Intel R&D center in India. He had an illustrious career at Intel from 1982 to 2004 during which he was instrumental in the design of several processors”.
Saini has been credited with working on the Intel 386 and 486 microprocessors. He also went on to lead the design of the company's Pentium processor.
It is to be noted that Saini’s death comes less than a year after runner Rajalakshmi Vijay was run over while cycling on Worli Sea Face.