Megha Rawal Arrested After SUV Knocks Down 8-Year-Old Boy in Bandra West

A 45-year-old woman identified as Megha Rawal was arrested by the Bandra police after an eight-year-old boy was fatally knocked down by an SUV she was driving in Bandra West on Sunday afternoon.

The victim, identified as Ansh Gupta, resided in the Kadeshwar area of Bandra West. According to police, the incident occurred between 2:15 pm and 2:30 pm on St John Baptist Road, near Jijamata Garden, on the route leading towards Mount Mary Church. The child had gone to play at the garden and was crossing the road while returning home when he was struck by an Innova Hycross SUV driven by Rawal.

Following the collision, an auto-rickshaw driver picked up the injured child and rushed him to Holy Hospital in Bandra West. Doctors declared the boy dead at around 3:45 pm. Police subsequently notified the boy's parents, and his body was sent for a post-mortem examination.

A Bandra police team reached the scene after receiving information from bystanders and conducted a panchnama. Rawal was taken into custody and later placed under arrest. The SUV, bearing registration number 24 BH 0455 B, will be examined by Regional Transport Office (RTO) experts to assist in determining the circumstances and cause of the crash.

An eyewitness alleged that the SUV was travelling at a high speed and that Rawal was speaking on a mobile phone when the collision occurred. Police stated that these claims would be independently verified during the investigation. Another eyewitness reported that Rawal stopped the vehicle a short distance away after bystanders raised an alarm.

Police have registered a case against Rawal under Sections 105, 281, and 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) along with Section 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act, covering culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rash driving, acts endangering life, and dangerous driving. Rawal is the founder and director of Mezmo Candy and works as a health coach in Mumbai.