Former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry killed in car crash near Mumbai

Mumbai: Former Tata Sons chairperson Cyrus Mistry, the low-profile, almost reclusive industrialist who was replaced in a boardroom coup in 2016, was killed on Sunday when his luxury car hit a road divider in Maharashtra's Palghar district. He was 54.

Besides Mistry, one person travelling with him in the Mercedes was killed, police said. 

The two others, including the driver Anayta Pandol, were injured and taken to hospital, officials said. 

Mistry, who was already heading companies in the Shapoorji Pallonji Group when he was appointed to succeed Ratan Tata as the head of the over USD 100 billion salt-to-software Tata Group, was on his way back from Ahmedabad to Mumbai when the tragedy occurred at around 3:15 PM on the bridge on the Surya river at Charoti Naka, 120 km away from Mumbai.

The accident occurred on the bridge over the Surya river, killing Mistry and another person on the spot while two others have been shifted to Gujarat for further treatment, said Palghar district superintendent of police, Balasaheb Patil.

Four persons, including Mistry, the driver, and two others were travelling in the car.

A Kasa police station officer said Mistry's car hit a road divider on the Surya river bridge and dashed against the retention wall.

Mistry was an Irish citizen, who had gone to the UK for higher studies after completing his schooling in Mumbai. He was a civil engineering graduate and did a master's in management in England. His brother Shapoor is also active in the family firm Shapoorji Pallonji Group.

Ironically, Cyrus' father Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry, who was also called the 'Phantom of Bombay House' for the influence he wielded at the Tata Group headquarters, had died a little over two months ago.

The police officer said the bodies of Mistry and another deceased, Jahangir Pandol, have been shifted to the Kasa Rural Hospital for postmortem.

The injured occupants of the car- Anayta Pandol, who was driving the car, and Daryus Pandol- have been shifted to a private hospital in Vapi in Gujarat for treatment.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said he has directed the state police to conduct a detailed investigation into the accident that killed Cyrus Mistry.

PM, FM express shock

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were among those who expressed disbelief at the death of Mistry. 

Calling him a 'promising business leader who believed in India's economic prowess', Modi 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."

Nirmala Sitharaman too tweeted along the same lines: "Shri Cyrus Mistry's death comes as a shock. He was committed to carrying forward and strengthening his business in infra and infra projects. He desired to keep contributing to India's economic progress. Condolences to his family and friends."

Business magnate Gautam Adani, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal were among the others who conveyed their deepest condolences.

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