Cyrus Mistry, Former Chairman of Tata Sons dies in Road Accident near Mumbai

Former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry died in a road accident in Maharashtra’s Palghar on Sunday. Mistry was returning to Mumbai from Ahmedabad in his Mercedes that crashed on a divider. Mistry was aged 54 years.

Police said besides Mistry, three other persons were there in the fateful car renowned Mumbai gynaecologist Dr Anahita Pandole, her husband Darius Pandole and his brother Jehangir Pandole.

They had visited the Iranshah Atash Behram at Udvada in the morning. Dr Pandole is believed to have been behind the wheel. Jehangir Pandole also died in the accident that took place on a bridge on the Surya river.

Dr Pandole and Darius Pandole are undergoing treatment at a hospital at Vapi where they are reported to be out of danger.

“The accident took place around 3.15pm, when Mistry was travelling to Mumbai from Ahmedabad. The accident took place on a bridge over the Surya river. It seems an accident,” PTI quoted a police officer as saying.

Mistry was ousted as chairman of Tata Sons in October 2016.

Tributes started to pour in for Mistry soon after news of his death came to light with political leaders and industrialists expressing their shock over the accident.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Mistry was a promising business leader who believed in India’s economic prowess. “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,” the PM wrote on Twitter.

Chairperson of Mahindra and Mahindra, Anand Mahindra, said it was hard to digest the news. Mahindra said he was convinced Mistry was destined for greatness, but life had other plans for him. In a tweet, he wrote, “Hard to digest this news. I got to know Cyrus well during his all-too-brief tenure as the head of the House of Tata. I was convinced he was destined for greatness. If life had other plans for him, so be it, but life itself should not have been snatched away from him. Om Shanti.”

In his tribute, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran said it was “really tragic that he passed away at such a young age”. “I am deeply saddened by the sudden and untimely demise of Mr Cyrus Mistry. He had a passion for life and it is really tragic that he passed away at such a young age. My deepest condolences and prayers for his family in these difficult times,” he wrote in a statement. Mistry was made chairman of Tata Sons in 2012 before being ousted in 2016 following a public tussle with the country’s top conglomerate.

Noted journalist Vir Sanghvi said, “Rest in Peace. Life is so unpredictable and so fragile that you never know what tomorrow will bring. Condolences to his family. It’s very sad news.”

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