Out for jogging, woman CEO dies after being hit by ‘speeding’ car at Worli Sea Face

Rajalakshmi, also called Raji by her friends, had recently completed the Tata Mumbai Marathon. The accused, Sumer Merchant (23), who was driving a white Tata Nexon, has been arrested and will be produced in court on Monday.

Police said the incident happened around 6.30 am when Rajalakshmi, a Dadar resident, was out for a run. Merchant, a Tardeo resident, was going towards Dadar. Three others, including two women colleagues who had attended a party at his residence on Saturday night, were in the vehicle. Merchant was going to drop them home, the police said.

“It appears the accused was going at a high speed and lost control of the vehicle. The four-wheeler hit a divider near the Worli Parsi dairy and hit Rajalakshmi from behind,” DCP (zone III) Akbar Pathan said. Rajalakshmi was flung off the ground. She fell with her face hitting the ground and sustained serious injuries to her head.

Bystanders rushed her to Poddar hospital while others overpowered Merchant, who too sustained injuries in the accident. Locals called the Worli police and handed him over to them. At the police station, an FIR was registered against Merchant following which he was arrested.

The FIR was registered under Section 304 of the IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and Section 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act (driving at a speed dangerous to the public) among others. The police said the accused will be produced before court on Monday. The vehicle will be handed over to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) for inspection.

“We have taken blood samples of the accused to find out if he was under the influence of alcohol,” Pathan said.

Merchant told the police he worked for a company involved in talent hunt for Bollywood films.