Former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry was on Sunday killed in a road accident after his car hit a divider in Maharashtra’s Palghar district. Palghar police sources say it looks like the driver lost control due to overspeeding. Police are filing an Accidental Death Report (ADR) as per the procedure.
Mistry, the younger son of Pallonji Mistry, head of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group, was travelling from Ahmedabad to Mumbai in a Mercedes car, when it crashed into a divider near Charoti on a bridge around 3.15 pm on Sunday.
There were four people in the vehicle, of which two, including Mistry, died on the spot. The other deceased person has been identified as Jahangir Binshah Pandole.
Those injured have been identified as Dr Anahita Pandole, a top gynaecologist at Breach Candy Hospital, and her husband Darius Pandole, the managing director and CEO of JM Financial Private Equity. They are being airlifted to Reliance hospital in Mumbai.
According to Palghar Superintendent of Police (SP) Balasaheb Patil, Dr Anahita Pandole was at the wheel when the accident happened.
In 2011, Mistry was made deputy chairman of the Tata Group, with the explicit goal of taking over as chairman one year later, upon the retirement of Ratan Tata, who had headed the group since 1991. In 2012, Cyrus officially succeeded Ratan Tata as chairman of the Tata Group. Mistry’s tenure as chairman lasted until October 2016. He was only the second non-Tata to lead the Tata Group.
On learning about the incident, Prime Minister tweeted: “The untimely demise of Shri Cyrus Mistry is shocking. He was a promising business leader who believed in India’s economic prowess. His passing away is a big loss to the world of commerce and industry. Condolences to his family and friends. May his soul rest in peace.”
