Avtar Saini, renowned for his contributions to the development of Intel microprocessors, including the Pentium, tragically lost his life on Wednesday in Navi Mumbai after being hit by a speeding cab while cycling.
The former India country head of Intel, Avtar Saini, passed away after a fatal collision with a speeding cab while cycling in Navi Mumbai. The police have initiated an FIR in the case and issued a notice to the taxi driver, Hrishikesh Khade.
According to police reports, the incident occurred around 5:50 am on Wednesday when Saini, aged 68, was cycling alongside others on Palm Beach Road in Nerul. The cab struck Saini’s bicycle from behind, and despite attempts to flee, the driver was caught with the cycle’s frame wedged beneath the vehicle’s front wheels.
Saini was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival, confirmed a police officer.
Gokul V Subramaniam, President of Intel India, expressed condolences on social media, stating, “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.”
Residing in Chembur, Saini was lauded for his work on Intel 386 and 486 microprocessors, along with leading the design of the Pentium processor.
The police have filed an FIR against the cab driver under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Motor Vehicles Act, including 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing hurt by rash or negligent act), and 304-A (causing death by negligence).
Saini’s tragic demise echoes another incident less than a year ago when runner Rajalakshmi Vijay suffered a similar fate while cycling on Worli Sea Face.
