A 22-year-old man, who aspired to become a police officer, died of a heart attack on Monday while practising amid a statewide constable recruitment drive. The deceased, Hrithik Mahendra Meher, was running on the beach at the fishing village of Rangaon in Vasai West around 5 pm when he suddenly collapsed. Locals, including family and friends, rushed him to a hospital but he was declared dead on arrival.

Meher had completed his BCom. His father works in the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation while his mother sells vegetables. The population of Rangaon is about 2,500 to 3,000 but 35 of its residents are part of the Maharashtra police force. According to sources, Meher had attempted to join the Maharashtra police force but was not successful. Therefore, he joined a training academy situated in Manikpur and was preparing for the physical fitness and written exam.