Cyrus Mistry, co-passenger who got killed did not wear seat belts: Police

Cyrus Mistry, the former Tata Sons chairman and younger son of construction tycoon Pallonji Mistry, and a co-passenger were killed in a car crash yesterday as they did not wear seat belts besides overspeeding and “error of judgement” by the driver, according to a preliminary investigation by the police.

They were returning from Udawada near Gujarat’s Navsari after participating in a Parsi religious function when the incident took place. Udwada Atash Behram is a sacred fire temple in Udvada. Udwada is a pilgrimage site for Zoroastrians.

It was further revealed that the car covered 20 km distance in mere 9 minutes after crossing the Charoti check post in Palghar, 120 kms away from Mumbai. After this, the car hit a road divider on the Surya river bridge, killing Mistry and former KPMG’s Global Strategy Group director Jehangir Dinshaw Pandole on the spot.

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A police official told news agency PTI, “While analysing the footages captured by CCTV cameras at the Charoti check post, Palghar police found that the car had crossed the check post around 2:21 pm and the accident occured 20 km ahead (in the direction of Mumbai).”

Mistry and Jehangir were sitting in the back seats whereas Darius was in the front seat with his wife Dr Anahita Pandole, who was driving the car. As per an eyewitness, Anahita tried to overtake another vehicle from the left side but lost control and crashed into the divider.

Meanwhile, Anahita and Darius also suffered injuries in the car crash and have been shifted to a hospital in Vapi for further investigation. Bodies of Mistry and Jehangir Pandole have been sent to Mumbai’s JJ Hospital for postmortem.

(With agency inputs)

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