An eight-year-old boy died after being struck by an Innova Crysta near Mehboob Studio in Mumbai’s Bandra area on Sunday afternoon, August 30. Police arrested the woman driving the vehicle and registered a case after eyewitnesses told investigators that she appeared to be speaking on a mobile phone while driving.
The incident took place at around 2 to 2.30 pm near Mehboob Studio in Bandra. The child, identified as Ansh Ravindra Gupta, was seriously injured after the vehicle ran over him while he was crossing the road, according to the report. The car’s wheel passed over his chest, causing critical injuries.
Ansh was taken to Holy Family Hospital for emergency treatment. Doctors examined him and declared him dead, the report said. Police subsequently arrested the driver, identified as 45-year-old Megha Rawal, who lives and works in Bandra. She has been described as a nutritionist and health coach.
Police said the investigation was based partly on statements from eyewitnesses who reported that the driver was talking on the phone at the time of the collision. The police have described this as a suspicion under investigation, rather than a final finding. Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances that led to the crash.
According to the police information cited in the report, a case has been registered against Rawal under Sections 105, 281 and 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Section 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Section 184 relates to dangerous driving. The precise application of the provisions will be determined through the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.
An eyewitness said the boy had been playing before attempting to cross the road when the Innova struck him. The witness also said the driver was a woman who appeared to be speaking on the phone. These accounts are part of the evidence being examined by the police, and the investigation has not yet concluded.
The case brings renewed attention to the risks faced by pedestrians, particularly children, on busy roads and in neighbourhoods where vehicles, pedestrians and local activity share limited street space. However, the supplied report does not establish whether road design, traffic conditions or any other factor contributed to the collision beyond the circumstances described by police and witnesses.
Rawal is also identified in the report as the founder of Memazo Candy, a healthcare brand. Police have said that further investigation is under way into the crash and the events leading to the child’s death.