Who was Avtar Saini, ex-Intel India head, killed after being hit by cab in Navi Mumbai?

Avtar Saini, a resident of suburban Chembur, was credited with working on the Intel 386 and 486 microprocessors.

Avtar Saini, former Intel India country head, was killed after a speeding cab hit him while he was cycling in Navi Mumbai township of Maharashtra, police said. The accident took place around 5.50am on Wednesday when Avtar Saini, 68, was riding a bicycle along with fellow cyclists on Palm Beach Road in Nerul area.

Avtar Saini, former Intel India country head, was killed in Navi Mumbai.

Who was Avtar Saini?

• Avtar Saini, a resident of suburban Chembur, was credited with working on the Intel 386 and 486 microprocessors.
• Avtar Saini also led the design of the company's Pentium processor.
• The 68-year-old NRI was a passionate cyclist, and was due to go back to the US next month.
• His son and daughter, who live in the US, were informed about the incident, and are on their way to India.
• A police officer from the NRI Coastal police station said Avtar Saini's other relatives who are based out of Mumbai had reached the hospital to claim the body.
• Avtar Saini had lost his wife a few years back to illness and he stayed alone in Chembur when he came to Mumbai.
• Avtar Saini, who was part of the CACG cycling group, always wore safety gear when he trekked or cycled, cyclists in his group told HT.
• Avtar Saini served at Intel for 22 years.
• He was involved in the first phase of the development of the Itanium Processor, the 64-bit Intel microprocessors.
• He left Intel in January 2004 and was associated with a number of smaller, but equally forward-thinking technology companies like Montalvo Systems, where he was the director of India operations between 2005 and 2008.

Cab driver arrested

The cab driver, who was caught by the passersby at the accident scene and was handed over to the police and a case of negligence and rash driving has been registered against him.

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.

Taxi driver tried to flee

The speeding taxi hit Avtar 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.